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Ukraine crisis: 73 more Uttar Pradesh students back in India, tally of returnees 227
On returning from Ukraine, the Uttar Pradesh students are being provided food and lodging at UP Bhavan in New Delhi. And then, travel to their native places is being facilitated
As many as 73 more Uttar Pradesh students have returned to India from Ukraine since Wednesday morning.
According to official figures, 227 people of UP have come back from Ukraine till now. Unofficially, the tally may have reached 420 as the data of some who came back on their own is not available yet.
In a late night communique, the relief commissioner’s office said they have collected information regarding a total of 2501 people/students from UP stuck in Ukraine and 227 students have returned till now.
For his part, relief commissioner Ranvir Prasad, said, “Of the total 2501 people/students, data of whom was shared with ministry of external affairs, 227 students have returned and they have been facilitated transport till their home. Several students might have reached home with their parents but data for such students is not available.”
According to the details, out of 151 students from Lucknow, 22 have returned, similarly 10 out of 66 have returned to Varanasi, three out of 60 to Prayagraj, 10 out of 73 to Gorakhpur and four out of 75 to Agra.
The least, two students each had gone (to Ukraine) from Chitrakoot, Hamirpur and Lalitpur, but none of them returned so far, according to the data shared by the office of the relief commissioner.
Earlier in the day, Saumya Srivastava, additional resident commissioner, who is coordinating evacuation of students in New Delhi, said: “In all, 70 students came by five different flights since morning and more are coming every hour via various flights. This process is going to continue till every UP resident is evacuated from Ukraine.”
On arrival, the students are being provided food and lodging at UP Bhavan in New Delhi.
And then, travel to their native places is being facilitated.
“All facilities, right from evacuation, to stay, food and transport till their native district/places is provided free of cost,” said Srivastava.
Those who stay far from Delhi are provided a flight to their hometown while others are given road transport facility (free of cost) to reach home, said Srivastava.
Some of the students are in the process of crossing the Ukraine border and several others have reached Romania and are about to catch a flight to New Delhi.
“My daughter had crossed the Ukraine border and reached Romania a day before. She will take a flight to New Delhi sometime today and hopefully will be in Lucknow in the next 24 hours,” said Yadunandini Singh, mother of Amulya Yaduvanshi, a third-year MBBS student in Ukraine.
“It’s tough to face the cold here but yes we have crossed border and will be in India,” said Amulya Yaduvanshi, who is putting up at a facility provided by officials in Romania after she crossed the border.
Experts said that on return students should be allowed to relax for a day or more, depending upon their health condition.
“They (students) have braved extreme cold, tiring and long walk and mental stress of being under life threat. They should be allowed to relax and regain their mental and physical strength,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, association of international doctors.
For its part, the UP BJP, too, has released a helpline number 0522-3512022 to assist those struck in Ukraine. The helpline is receiving calls by anxious parents from across the state.
