An overseas Filipino worker sleeps as she waits for updates on her cancelled flight to the Middle East at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 2. — PNA/ANN Photo

ISTANBUL — Governments across the Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday moved to evacuate citizens, secure energy supplies, and monitor financial markets amid an escalating war in the Middle East.

China, Pakistan, India, and Australia were among the countries rushing to assist nationals stranded in the region as airspace closures and security concerns disrupted travel.

While China evacuated over 3,000 of its citizens from Iran, an Air India flight from the United Arab Emirates brought home 149 passengers and eight crew members. It was the first Indian carrier arrival in New Delhi since widespread disruptions to Middle Eastern airspace began on Saturday, February 28.

Regional tensions escalated Saturday following a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, killing several senior Iranian officials, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities, including the deaths of six US service members, and injuring many others.

At least 13 Asians killed

Air and maritime routes in the region, including those through the Strait of Hormuz, have since been disrupted.

At least 13 people from Asia have been reported killed since the conflict intensified Saturday: one each from China, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal and India and two from Bangladesh.

Some 115,000 Australians are currently in the Middle East, ABC News reported. The country’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government was in discussions with airlines to help stranded citizens.

Wong acknowledged that evacuation efforts would remain difficult while airspace across much of the region remains closed.

War disrupts regional markets

Pakistan has evacuated over 650 of its citizens from Iran over the past two days.

Stock markets across Asia fell sharply amid fears of prolonged disruption to energy supplies. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 closed down 3.06 percent as investors reacted to rising geopolitical tensions.

In South Korea, shares plunged more than 7 per cent to close at 5,791.91, while the local currency weakened sharply, according to Yonhap News.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service launched a round-the-clock emergency response team to monitor developments and assist with evacuating nationals from the region.

Officials said the agency is also tracking risks to supply chains and industries, including energy, logistics, defense manufacturing, and shipbuilding, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Securing citizens

Indonesia has also urged caution for travelers, with Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi calling on airlines operating to or through the Middle East to heighten vigilance as tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran disrupt air routes, according to Antara News Agency.

Indonesia’s Deputy Human Rights Minister Mugiyanto said more than 100 Indonesian citizens were stranded at Hamad International Airport in Doha, while dozens or hundreds more remain stuck in Dubai and other Gulf cities.

Energy security has become another major concern for Asian economies.

Pakistan has moved to stabilise domestic fuel markets by seeking alternative supply routes, even as the South Asian nation’s oil stocks remain sufficient for only about 28 days. Two crude cargoes remain stranded following the closure of the waterway, according to local daily The Express Tribune.

Shipping routes restricted

The conflict has also hit global energy production. QatarEnergy halted liquefied natural gas production after Iranian drone attacks struck some of its facilities.

Qatar is a key LNG supplier for several Asian economies.

The widening conflict and disruption to shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz – a channel that handles roughly one-fifth of global oil trade – have raised fears of prolonged volatility in energy prices and financial markets across Asia. — PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY/ANN