Nigerians stranded in South Africa and awaiting evacuation have raised concerns over worsening humanitarian conditions, lamenting that many are now hungry and homeless due to delays in the second phase of the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise.
The affected individuals, including women, children, and elderly persons, are reportedly facing severe hardship after exhausting their savings while waiting for arrangements to return home.
The alarm was raised on Friday by the President of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, who appealed to the Nigerian government to urgently intervene and expedite the evacuation process.
According to Onyekwelu, many of the stranded citizens had travelled long distances and incurred significant expenses based on assurances that evacuation arrangements had been finalized.
He disclosed that the prolonged delay has left many vulnerable, with some unable to afford accommodation, food, or other basic necessities.
“Several have exhausted their limited resources after travelling long distances in good faith, believing arrangements had been adequately concluded for their departure. They are hungry and homeless,” Onyekwelu said.
The NICASA president urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, stressing that the stranded Nigerians require immediate assistance and clarity on when evacuation flights will resume.
The development has heightened concerns about the welfare of Nigerian citizens currently stranded abroad, particularly those who had relied on government-backed evacuation plans to return home safely.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from the Federal Government regarding the reported delay or a new timeline for the evacuation exercise.
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