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South Africans stuck in the United Arab Emirates, as ongoing tension hits Gulf countries following the strike launched on Iran by the United States and Israel on Saturday, have appealed to the country’s government for assistance.
This was revealed by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). The agency’s spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, said people need to understand that when airspaces are closed, it is impossible to travel to or from those countries.
“It’s not that we’re not communicating with South Africans who feel trapped in the UAE. Some South Africans don’t even inform us when they leave the country, until something unfortunate happens,” the spokesperson said.
He added that the agency had sent warnings to South Africans on their database about the possibility of the attack happening prior to the attacks.
“Of course, this is not communicated publicly to avoid unnecessary panic. But some of the South Africans on our database [chose] to come back before all the attacks happened, while others stayed”.
DIRCO further implored South Africans stuck in the UAE to exercise patience and stay indoors while they monitor developments.
The escalation in the Middle East has triggered airspace closures and flight suspensions to the affected regions across various airlines.
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) on Sunday morning disclosed that the airspace closure has resulted in multiple flight cancellations at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, and King Shaka International Airport.
