Indian students in Ukraine run out of food and essentials
Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 Mar, 2022 12:20 PM
New Delhi, March 3 (IANS) Students stuck in war-torn Ukraine have almost "run out" of food and essentials.
An Indian medical student, Faisal, sent a video to IANS narrating his ordeal in the north-eastern city of Sumy in Ukraine.
In the video, he said that around 500 Indian students are stuck in Sumy, which is 350 km from Kiev.
"We ran out of rice and flour. I went to buy flour, salt, potatoes and other basic items but all the department stores here are empty," he said. The local authorities have imposed a curfew in the area and the students here are in touch with the Indian Embassy.
Faisal, who is from Bihar's Motihari, said that the students are forced to drink soda water and tap water as there is scarcity of potable water, due to which "they could contract typhoid".
Another student from Sumy, Manas said that students are scared amidst the constant sound of gunfire.
"We are students of Sumy University. All the students are stuck in the war zone. We call the Indian embassy daily and get the same reply - 'to wait'. Other students who were in the western part (of Ukraine) have left for India, only we, the students of Sumy, are left. I urge the Indian government to evacuate us," he said.
The students are presently residing in Sumy University's building.
Manas said that the embassy has warned them not to go out as a student was killed in the firing. "Everyday we hear the siren three to four times and we all rush to the shelters."
"There is no source of water and food. Other students have reached India and students in Sumy have been left, this triggers more panic among us," he asserted.
The United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday that the situation was quickly deteriorating after Russia's invasion. It appealed to neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to people seeking a safe haven.
There are an estimated 25,000 Indian students in Ukraine alone who are pursuing medicine, engineering, and science courses. More than 2,500 students from Tamil Nadu are estimated to be studying in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary stated that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovakian counterparts for setting up a camp at border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. He also stated that flight options are available through Dubai and Istanbul and that the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
The Ministry of External Affairs in touch with all the neighbouring countries surrounding Ukraine to even evacuate Indian citizens. Many citizens who were to fly back to India were left at the airport after closure of Ukrainian airspace following Russia's Vladimir Putin announcement of a military operation in Ukraine.
Amidst the prevailing tension, the Indian students stranded in Ukraine are left with no choice but to queue up outside the Indian Embassy in Kiev seeking the authorities' help as they ran out of food and money. The Russian military actions in Ukraine have triggered panic among all sections, including students from India.
Clashes have also been taking place around the capital Kiev in the north and the Black Sea port cities of Odesa and Mariupol in the south, the report said. Air strikes from Russia have been carried out on Ukrainian military bases and airports, with fierce fighting reported around a key airport near Kiev.
