Staff writer

Government has evacuated students who were stranded in Ukraine following an armed conflict that ensued between that country and Russia.

Addressing Journalists after the third cabinet session in Harare yesterday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa said, ”Cabinet would like to reassure the nation that the Government is taking all necessary steps to evacuate students and other nationals from Ukraine following the outbreak of war with Russia.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said that the country`s Missions to Moscow and Berlin are facilitating the evacuation mission.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade assured parents and stakeholders that the Government was doing all it could to ensure that all citizens were evacuated from Ukraine to Poland where a Mission Official was to assist them

Minister Mutsvangwa said, “There is a Mission official who is currently based in Poland to assist those that need to be repatriated.”

Minister Mutsvangwa advised parents and stakeholders that the ministry would continue to update on the situation of students in Ukraine.

She said that to date, a total of 118 students have relocated to Romania, Slovakia and Poland.

In another matter, Minister Mutsvangwa advised the nation that preparations for the 2022 Population and Housing Census are ongoing with the Census mapping and Pilot census having been successfully completed.

She said the Census mapping was completed on 19 January, 2022, with a total of 40 257 enumeration areas having been established while the Pilot census on the other hand, was undertaken from 18 to 27 November, 2021.