BENGALURU: Over 600 Kannadigas are stranded in Saudi Arabia amid the prevailing tense situation and disruptions to international flight operations. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking urgent intervention to address difficulties faced by Umrah pilgrims from Karnataka, stranded in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
In his letter, Shivakumar said the Karnataka State Haj Committee chairman and his team, who recently visited the holy cities, had reported that several pilgrims were facing severe hardship due to disruption in air services. Many have exhausted their financial resources and are struggling to meet basic needs, including food and accommodation.
Reports say that hotels are asking pilgrims to vacate their rooms, leaving many, including the elderly, women and children, in a particularly vulnerable situation. Temporary assistance being provided by Indian and Karnataka-based voluntary organisations is insufficient to meet their needs, he said.