3 Filipinos in ICU with 1 critical after Houthi strike on Riyadh airport; no deployment ban, says DMW

MANILA — Three of the four Filipinos injured after a Houthi strike at the Riyadh airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remain in intensive care units, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

Of the three, one is in critical condition.

“Two of the four worked in the airport and two are passengers, and two females and two males. So we’ve also reached out, per the directive of the president, to reach out to their families, to help the families,” Cacdac said.

The Department of Migrant Workers also continues to assist a fourth injured Filipino, who has been discharged from the hospital.

“He had problems in his lumbar area so this will be continually monitored and he had some trauma burns. But again, he is healthy enough to be released from hospital,” Cacdac added.

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had been targeted by a double Houthi strike over the weekend, the deadliest in over a decade and since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran in February. 

Thirteen people were killed and over 300 injured, including the four Filipinos, during Saturday’s attack, while one person was killed and 11 injured on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that one US citizen was among Saturday’s fatalities and condemned the attacks.

“The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthis… These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life. They must stop now,” Rubio said on his X account.

Operations at King Khalid International Airport remain suspended with incoming flights cancelled or diverted to other Saudi airports, including King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

But flight disruptions intensified Monday due to flight cancellations in both Jeddah and Dammam airports as well.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan is in Riyadh to assist overseas Filipino workers on the ground.

She said 30 Filipinos were reported stranded because of the attack, with 20 staying in government-sponsored hotels.

“At pito naman po ay sinundo na ng kanilang mga kamag-anak sa Riyadh. Dalawa naman po ay mga seafarers in transit, no? Nandun po sila sa sponsored hotel ng airline. At isa po ay sinundo na ng employer,” Caunan said.

(Another seven were fetched by relatives in Riyadh. Two are seafarers in transit. They are in a hotel, sponsored by the airline. Another was fetched by an employer.)

Caunan also reported that one OFW is currently stranded in Dammam and is being assisted by OWWA.

There were also 37 OFWs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, who were provided with temporary accommodations and transportation assistance back to their homes after flights bound for Riyadh were also cancelled.

The Houthi movement from Yemen had claimed the series of attacks, not only in Saudi airports but also in some oil facilities.

The group said it is targeting Saudi due to accusations that it had bombed Yemen’s Sanaa airport in July, as an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation was trying to land. 

Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the said attack.

Several countries have issued advisories regarding travel to KSA.

The US Embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia had warned citizens to “take extreme caution when using all major airports in Saudi Arabia.”

Global Affairs Canada also advised to “avoid non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia due to the volatile security situation in the region.”

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also told its citizens, “do not travel to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh due to recent security incidents that have disrupted airport operations.”

As for the Philippines, the DMW said it is not yet suspending deployment of workers, as it maintains close coordination with the departments of Foreign Affairs and the National Defense.

“Economic life continues within the Kingdom,” he said, adding the Saudi government has kept Filipinos working there for decades.

“So sa ngayon, walang (So for now, there is no) deployment ban. Having said this, we are coordinating closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense for the political and security assessment.”

Cacdac however reminded Filipinos to regularly check for flight updates before proceeding to the airport.

He also appealed for Filipinos in Saudi to refrain from posting opinions or unverified information about the ongoing situation.

“Mahigpit ang protocols ng Kingdom ng Saudi Arabia sa postings in social media and that includes of course, yung pag-relay or pag post ng fake news or false information or unverified information. So this is not the time to post any haka-haka,” he said.

(The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has very strict protocols on posting on social media and that includes, of course relaying or posting fake news or false information or unverified information. So this is not the time to post any speculations.)

Cacdac assured the public that the DMW has the capacity to provide assistance to all affected OFWs in Saudi Arabia and all gulf states with the AKSYON Fund that has been replenished with P3 billion in June.