The U.S. is urgently evacuating diplomats and their families from countries in the Middle East

The U.S. is rushing to evacuate some of its diplomats and their families from the Middle East amid the threat of an escalation in the region, CNN reported.

This week, the State Department ordered the departure of non-essential personnel and all family members from Saudi Arabia, due to an escalation by the Houthis. 

At the same time, it has quietly reduced its staffing caps at embassies in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. These changes have not affected the embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait, suggesting that they remain within their established staffing limits.

Sources described the evacuation as a frustrating and chaotic case of "déjà vu". Some of the officials who must now leave the region had only recently returned to their posts, having previously been evacuated during the Iran-Iraq War. "It’s very much a 'Groundhog Day' kind of atmosphere," one source remarked. Another U.S. source described the evacuation by saying, "To call it chaotic would be an understatement."

Furthermore, there were complaints that the financial support offered does not cover the costs of relocating entire families out of the region—a particularly difficult burden for many households, as this is their second time having to move. 

Some families currently outside of Saudi Arabia complained to the union AFSA that they "are being ordered to leave without any confirmed housing assistance or per diem allowances," noted union spokesperson Gamer.

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Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN