ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Tuesday it has repatriated 65,000 of its nationals stranded in foreign countries in the last six months.

In a press statement, MoFA said it has repatriated stranded nationals who were using three illegal migration routes with plans to reach their final destinations in Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and South Africa.

MoFA further said in one week of January 2019 alone, it has repatriated 690 of its nationals who were stranded in war-torn Yemen.

In recent weeks, hundreds of Ethiopian migrants have also been repatriated from Mozambique, Tanzania, Libya, Sudan and Djibouti.

It is estimated that thousands of Ethiopians are trafficked into foreign countries annually.