on Monday reported that protection mechanisms have been activated for Peruvian citizens affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
Ambassador Pedro Bravo indicated that the priority is to preserve the safety of the more than 5,500 Peruvians residing in the region, especially in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
"No Peruvians have been affected so far, neither in the Gulf, nor in Israel, nor in Iran," he told Andina News Agency.
Crisis command and consular coordination
According to Bravo,
Foreign Affairs Minister Hugo de Zela "convened a crisis command that met last week with all strategic areas of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, ambassadors, and consuls in the region."
Consular coverage includes Israel, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, while Iran is covered by the Peruvian Embassy in Türkiye.
"In Iran we have 130 compatriots, especially women and children, and we remain attentive. So far, they have not requested evacuation to a safe area, but we are there, waiting," he said.
International collaboration
The ambassador noted that collaboration has been established with Chile, which has an embassy in Iran, in order to maintain direct communication with Peruvian citizens.
"Collaboration has already been established with Chile, because Chile does have an embassy there. Therefore, for direct communication with these compatriots, Chile will provide support; in fact they are already in contact with that ambassador," he stated.
Evacuation of stranded Peruvians
The diplomat explained that the Foreign Affairs Ministry has been working to reschedule flights and evacuate compatriots who were stranded in transit.
"In Dubai we have managed to enable the return of 34 Peruvians; 54 remain in a difficult situation," Bravo reported.
In Israel, "seven of them are being assisted to leave soon, either by land through Jordan or Egypt (…)."
"There are another 29 who are staying with relatives; they are not in immediate need, but they must be taken into account because, if the situation continues to worsen, we will probably have to evacuate them in some way," he added.
The ambassador clarified that these actions do not involve repatriation, but rather relocation to safe areas.
"We are not talking about repatriation right now, only evacuation to a safe place," he underlined.
Evacuation routes include Oman, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan, while emergency visas are being coordinated with local authorities.
Recommendations for citizens
The ambassador urged Peruvians to follow the instructions of local authorities, go to shelters or safe areas, as well as contact consulates to obtain reliable information and coordinate assistance.
"Each country has its own particularities: in Israel they go to their bunkers; in the Emirates to parking areas or other safe places," he indicated.
International cooperation and protocols
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is working with Latin American delegations and organizations, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to ensure logistical and financial assistance, as well as to facilitate charter flights or safe transport along evacuation routes.
"We have already spoken with the authorities of Saudi Arabia and Oman so they can grant us emergency visas, a quick visa," he said.
Regarding diplomatic missions, the official explained that protocols exist for evacuating personnel and their families if the situation deteriorates.
"If the situation becomes too bad, families would be evacuated so that diplomatic and consular officials can continue working while their relatives remain safe, until the last Peruvian in the area has been assisted," Bravo noted.
He added that once Peruvians have been evacuated, including residents who request it, "if that phase is completed, we could reach an extreme scenario that we do not want, which is to evacuate or close the missions, place them under another country's protection, secure the archives and infrastructure, and temporarily relocate personnel to a safe place until they can return to the mission."
Evacuations so far
Dubai: 34 Peruvians evacuated.
Israel: 15 evacuated; 29 staying with relatives and under monitoring.
Kuwait: Some evacuees.
Iran: No evacuations yet, but coordination with Chile continues.
At present, the priority remains Peruvians stranded abroad, with efforts focused on rescheduling flights or facilitating safe transit through land and air routes, accompanied by consular and diplomatic officials.