(AP) — And nearly all of them made their own way out of the region without government assistance, the State Department said.

The department said it is arranging charter flights for private citizens who want to leave. The first departed Wednesday and several more were expected Thursday, although officials did not say where they would depart.

Earlier, the department asked Americans in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fill out an online form for information about the flights.

Officials said they have responded to requests for information from more than 10,000 Americans in the region but did not say how many want to leave. Americans seeking help were urged to contact an emergency task force at +1-202-501-4444.