Governments are working to evacuate citizens stranded in the Middle East following the outbreak of conflict, with tens of thousands of travelers affected by cancelled flights and closed airports. The Association of Tennis Professionals stated it is assisting former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and other players and staff in leaving Dubai.
Evacuation Efforts Expand Across Multiple Nations
Faizan Khalid, a Scotland resident, his wife, and their six-month-old daughter are stranded in Lahore, Pakistan, after their flight home – with a connection in Dubai – was cancelled. They are now booked on a new flight for Wednesday that also includes a stop in Dubai, and Khalid expressed concern over dwindling baby formula supplies. “We just want to get home safely,” he said.
Hen Mazzig, a 35-year-old writer from London, is stuck in Tel Aviv. “I really am counting my blessings,” Mazzig said, adding that rearranging his plans is “inconvenient, but it’s so minor compared to how big this is.”
Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, is preparing a “massive recovery operation” to bring stranded passengers home once Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv reopens. Passengers booked on El Al and its subsidiary, Sundor, will not be charged for seats on the flights, which are expected to operate from cities including New York, London, Paris, Rome and Los Angeles.
The U.S. State Department is assisting Americans with arranging commercial transportation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged the situation “may remain challenging for some time” but affirmed the UK government is “looking at all options to support our people.”
The Philippines has upgraded its travel advisory for the UAE to a level triggering a deployment ban on newly hired Filipino workers, also applying to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
More than 58,000 Indonesian citizens are stranded in Saudi Arabia, where they were visiting Islam’s holy sites during Ramadan, according to Ichsan Marsha, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Thousands of travellers are also stranded on Bali due to international flight cancellations.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry reports approximately 30,000 German tourists are stranded across the Middle East. The government plans to send aircraft to Oman and Saudi Arabia to evacuate ill travellers, children and pregnant people, and will work with airlines to assist others.
The Czech Republic is sending planes to Egypt, Jordan and Oman to bring home citizens from Israel and surrounding countries. Britain is preparing for various options, including a possible evacuation, as over 102,000 people have registered their presence in the region.
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