(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/8/20) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is urging all Americans to contact Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and their members of Congress to urge the U.S. Government to bring home the more than 1,000 American citizens and LPRs (Legal Permanent Residents) who have been stranded in Yemen due to the COVID-19 global health crisis and the cancellation of flights.
CAIR’s click-and-send action alert is directing Americans to urge the U.S. State Department to:
1) Help facilitate or charter new flights out of Yemen for all Yemeni-Americans and LPRs stranded, and
2) Provide immediate assistance or waivers to those with expired or missing travel documents who can prove they are U.S. citizens or LPRs.
TAKE ACTION: URGE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO BRING AMERICANS STRANDED IN YEMEN HOME
https://tinyurl.com/BringYemeniAmericansHome
Many of the more than 1,000 American citizens and LPRs stranded in Yemen had intended on traveling to that country for a brief period of time and were scheduled to return to the U.S. at the end of March 2020.
Unfortunately, despite their previously booked travel arrangements, the airports in Yemen were closed prior to their return date leaving them stranded without adequate resources to provide for their continued stay, and leaving them at grave risk of exposure to COVID-19 as the health sector is collapsing under the crush of the war, famine and the Chikungunya virus.
While the U.S. State Department has previously helped arrange flights out of Yemen on June 28 and July 1, no further flights have been scheduled and CAIR estimates there are still more than a 1,000 Americans and LPRs stranded in that country.
As Yemen is currently engaged in a long-standing war that has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and famine, the COVID-19 global pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis in Yemen.
This action alert is a part of CAIR’s #BringThemHome campaign, being coordinated by CAIR along with local chapters in New York, Chicago, Michigan, and California.
CAIR is also urging all Americans and LPRs stranded in Yemen who are seeking assistance to email civilrights@cair.com or fill out a report from at http://www.cair.com/report/
NEED TO CONTACT THE STATE DEPARTMENT?
If you have not already done so, please refer to the State Department U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia’s announcement on “Repatriation Flights From Yemen.” There you can get the process started for seeking repatriation.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Ayan Ajeen, aAjeen@cair.com