The United States “has operated over a dozen charter flights and evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East“, a senior State Department official said Saturday.
The department has increased its charter flights out of the region in recent days. It will continue to increase charter flights and ground transportation, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said in a statement Saturday.
The State Department has provided direct assistance to “more than 16,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance“, Johnson said, adding that more than 28,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East in total. That number includes people traveling alone for business.