Hundreds of tourists are stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra after return flights to Abu Dhabi were cancelled.
The travellers thought they were going to spend their trip welcoming in the new year before jetting home a day or two later. But instead, they have been unable to leave after political tensions within the anti-Houthi camp spiralled into clashes on the mainland, disrupting daily life from transport to the economy and forcing the cancellation of their flights.
On Wednesday, Italy began repatriating dozens of its citizens from the island, with a first flight carrying 46 tourists due to land in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Another 59 Italians are expected to return from Socotra on additional flights in the coming days.
An architect who lives and works in Dubai and Saudi Arabia described Socotra as “the most beautiful place” to be stranded but appealed to authorities to help tourists to leave the island so they could return to families and jobs.
The 36-year-old left Abu Dhabi on December 28 for a five-day camping trip to spend the New Year in Socotra with seven other hikers. The other tourists are from Jordan, Ukraine and the UK.
It was only when their Air Arabia flight on January 2 was cancelled and the group, along with other tourists, were unable to leave that they became concerned.
“All I know is there is a situation and political tension so our flight was cancelled,” she said.
“If there was any warning by the airlines or anyone that it’s not safe to go to Socotra, I would not have come here. Others too wouldn’t have. Absolutely, I wouldn’t have risked it.”
She said travel advisories should have issued to make it clear that Socotra was off-limits.
“Expats and tourists should have been warned. There was no information that Socotra was not safe,” she said. “People know the mainland [Yemen] is not safe, but Socotra is away from the mainland.”
Appealing to government authorities to evacuate all tourists, she said: “People have families to return to and jobs to get back to. Something like this should have been communicated before flying here and we wouldn’t have come.
“Many tourists are not from this region, they are from Brazil, Poland, Italy and the US. They too wouldn’t have come.”
She and her fellow campers explored an option to take a boat to Salalah, Oman, and then onward flights but rough seas made them decide to wait for the air route to open. They hope to fly to Saudi Arabia soon.
She estimated there are about 400 to 600 stranded tourists. “If there are three flights we will all get out of the island,” she said. “People have been calling their embassies but have been told that nothing can be done yet.”
Like the other tourists, she has photographs and memories of a peaceful, idyllic New Year.
“It’s the most beautiful place to be stuck in, but now we need to leave,” she said.
“The landscape, lagoons, beach, the unique dragon trees are beautiful. We came here because we wanted to escape the city. We did spend a calm, peaceful New Year, played music and went on a hike on January 1.
“We have been camping the whole time, we have a tour guide and cook, and all food is fresh. The people are amazing. But we need help to get out of Socotra now.”
Gerrit van Wijngaarden, 61, from Poland, is in Socotra with his wife, their three children and a grandchild. He had planned to stay on the island for New Year's Eve, but has now been there for more than 10 days.
He travelled from Poland to Abu Dhabi, where he took an Air Arabia flight to Socotra on December 27.
“My plan was to spend the New Year in the island and then go back to Abu Dhabi on January 2. [Now] no planes [are] leaving and I’m stuck in the island with my family,” Mr Van Wijngaarden told The National.
“The return flight was cancelled and the travel agency is doing its best to make our stay comfortable until we leave the place.”
Mr Wijngaarden booked the trip through Socotra Pioneer Tours travel agency. The National has contacted the travel agency and Air Arabia for comment.
The latest update that he and other travellers received was that flights out of Socotra to Saudi Arabia could be available soon.
Remote island of global significance
Socotra is one of the most isolated islands in the world. It is about 340km south-west of Yemen. While remote and small, it is known for its centuries-old, umbrella-shaped dragon blood trees and has been described as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean because of its biodiversity.
The Socotra Archipelago – made up of six islands of which Socotra is the largest – received Unesco World Heritage Site status in 2008 in recognition of its biodiversity and high number of native species.
Socotra has endured challenges in recent years, including two cyclones in 2015. The UAE provided $110 million in humanitarian aid to the people of Socotra from 2015 to 2021, offering assistance to its communities and helping to lay foundations for the future.
The aid was delivered by organisations including the Emirates Red Crescent, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation, and the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre.
Key investment restored Socotra's airport and paid for the construction of two solar power stations, the establishment of four power plants and the installation of power generators in remote villages.
