The Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced an increase in the number of deaths and missing persons among Jordanian pilgrims, who are not part of the official Jordanian Hajj delegation, due to sunstroke from the intense heatwave.

A statement by Ambassador Sufyan Al-Qudah, Director of the Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs, said that a crisis cell has been activated since the beginning of the crisis.

This cell coordinates with the Jordanian Consulate General in Jeddah, the Jordanian Embassy in Riyadh, and the Hajj mission of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf And Islamic Affairs to follow up on the burial procedures for deceased Jordanian pilgrims and to transport the bodies of those whose families wish for them to be returned to the Kingdom as quickly as possible. They are also tracking the search for missing pilgrims.

The Ministry is working through the Crisis Cell to ensure the swift return of Jordanian pilgrims to the Kingdom. A team from the Jordanian Consulate General in Jeddah has been in Mecca since yesterday to oversee the burial and transportation arrangements for the deceased pilgrims and to issue necessary documents, such as emergency travel documents, in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments' Hajj mission.

Ambassador Al-Qudah emphasized the importance of accuracy and caution in reporting the names and numbers of deaths and missing persons, urging adherence to official statements from the Ministry. He also confirmed that the Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs is in constant contact with the families of the deceased and missing Jordanian pilgrims.

Ambassador Al-Qudah renewed his call to Jordanian pilgrims and their families to contact the Ministry for assistance, to report missing persons, or to arrange for the transportation of bodies in cases of death, using the following contact numbers:

• Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs: 00962795497777
• Emergency line / Jeddah: 00966501784611
• Email: [email protected]