We have not abandoned stranded Ugandans in Saudi Arabia- Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it has not abandoned Ugandans stranded in Saudi Arabia due to covid-19 lockdown.

Since last week, a group of Ugandans in Saudi Arabia have been accusing the Ministry of abandoning them in the Middle East country.

In the videos that have since gone viral, the group claims that the Ugandan Embassy in Saudi Arabia did not attend to them when they needed help.

However, the Ministry says whereas the Embassy is committed to helping Ugandans in the Diaspora, “It should be noted that some of the women recorded in the videos visited the Embassy on Friday 26th June 2020 when the mission was closed. Friday is a weekend and a non-working day in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Public Diplomacy department also said in a statement dated 1 July, 2020, that the Embassy has a shelter which it uses to accommodate stranded Ugandans but its capacity is stretched as a result of a backlog of cases arising from the suspension of international flights due to covid-19 pandemic.

“All the cases presented at the Embassy including the women  in the videos have been dealt with together with other stakeholders . Therefore , there are no Ugandans waiting or stranded outside the Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

“The ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to assure the general public that its committed to discharging its responsibilities, including protecting the rights and safeguarding the wellbeing of Ugandans in the diaspora.”