Definition: In this task, a passage will be given and the goal is to identify an event from the passage. An event is defined as a single word representing something that happened, is happening, or may happen. An event can be factual or hypothetical, positive or negative, certain or uncertain. While most events are based on verbs, an event can also be based on a noun (ex. storm, snow, rainfall) or a copula verb (is, was, been, etc.). The event must not be a pronoun or an adjective. For noun events with multiple words, use the last word in the phrase as event.
Input: Passage: The Soviet Foreign Ministry said Soviet women, children and invalids would be permitted to leave Iraq. Spokesman Yuri Gremitskikh said the first group of 230 evacuees was assembling in Baghdad today, but evacuation plans were hampered by desert heat and lack of transportation.

hampered