Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 18 : Amid escalating tensions in West Asia and worsening security in Iran, many Indian students remain stranded at the Azerbaijan border, due to the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel, facing illness and lack of resources despite some being evacuated earlier.
Parents of the stranded students have urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to provide immediate updates and intervention to ensure the safe return of all stranded students.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Suhail Muzamil Qadri, a parent, highlighted the worsening conditions.
"The issue right now is that the majority of children are stranded at the Azerbaijan border, on the Astara side of Iran. The problems they are facing there are serious. Initially, a group of 17-18 children was taken out, but those had tickets for the 14th. Along with them, children holding tickets for the 18th, 19th, and 20th were also allowed through. Meanwhile, those with tickets for the 15th, 16th, and 17th remain stranded. Many of the children with tickets for the 15th were marked as 'no show', and the same happened for the 16th and 17th, and still nothing has been done," he said.
Qadri further emphasised the urgent need for assistance.
"We sincerely request that someone from the MEA update us on the situation at the border. Some of the children are ill, suffering from chest infections and influenza, and they are not receiving medicines. Their money has run out, and they are unable to make calls. We desperately need an update on what is happening," he added.
Earlier, Mohammed Anwar, parent of a Kashmiri student stranded in Iran, told ANI, "My daughter is in the final year of MBBS. We highly appreciate the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Tehran for relocating them safely. But it is our hand-folded request to the Ministry of External Affairs to evacuate them at the earliest."
On Monday, the MEA said more than 2 lakh passengers have been brought back to India from Gulf countries, and Indian nationals in Iran have also crossed into Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of ongoing safety efforts.