A Romanian woman, stranded with hundreds of tourists on a desert island in Yemen: “No one knows anything”
Hundreds of foreign tourists were stranded on the Indian Ocean island of Socotra after tensions between warring factions in Yemen and their regional backers paralyzed air links. Among those in this situation is a Romanian woman, according to Reuters.
Socotra island, Yemen PHOTO Shutterstock
The withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates troops from Yemen, decided last week, following an ultimatum imposed by Saudi Arabia, left the island isolated and approximately 600 visitors without the possibility of returning home, reports the international agency, quoted by News.ro.
Air travel to and from the island's main airport has been suspended amid deteriorating relations between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, two Gulf powers that now support opposing sides in the Yemeni civil war.
“No one knows anything and people just want to go back to their normal lives,” said Aurelija Krikstaponiene, a woman from Lithuania who arrived on the island on New Year's. The tourist was supposed to return to Abu Dhabi, but may now have to travel through Saudi Arabia as the Emirates' influence over Socotra wanes.
“I try to enjoy every day”
Among those stuck on the island is the Romanian Bianca Cus. The tourist tries to take advantage of the remaining time.
“I'm trying to enjoy every day, just like before we found out we were going to be stuck,” he told Reuters.
“No ATMs, no card payments”
The lack of financial infrastructure makes the situation even more complicated. “Most tourists will run out of money in a few days”said Maciej, a Pole in a group of 100 people:
“There are no ATMs, no card payments, and bank transfers don't work. Everything depends on cash. When it ends, we will sleep under the open sky and depend on the locals for food.”
The tourist says he was not informed of the risk of conflict when he booked his holiday.
The island of Socotra, located more than 300 kilometers off the coast of Yemen, has long been a refuge away from the violence on the mainland. Spectacular scenery, secluded beaches and unique flora, including the famous tree “dragon's blood”, they have turned it into a niche destination for tourists in search of unexplored places.
“Socotra is a kind of natural aircraft carrier”
In 2018, when the United Arab Emirates deployed troops and military equipment to Socotra as part of a strategy to expand its influence in the area of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime corridor between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, control of the island became a sensitive point.
“Socotra is a kind of natural aircraft carrier, strategically placed at the center of a trade route linking Europe, Asia and Africa. Whoever controls the island can observe, intercept and project power without firing a shot”, says Andreas Krieg, professor at King's College London.
But the balance broke with the deterioration of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh recently launched airstrikes to support Yemeni government forces against Abu Dhabi-backed separatists in the south, who also rule Socotra.
The airport is no longer under the authority of the United Arab Emirates
Although the Southern Transitional Council (STC), an ally of the Emirates, still controls the island, the airport is no longer under UAE authority, local sources told Reuters. The airport remains closed, but Yemeni airlines announced a flight to Jeddah on January 7, a sign of the change in control.
Over the past few years, the Emirates have invested heavily in the island's infrastructure through the Sheikh Khalifa Foundation, modernizing the airport, bringing electricity and potable water, and turning Socotra into a tourist destination accessible almost exclusively via Abu Dhabi.
However, not all tourists anticipated the risks generated by being close to a conflict that caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Although Socotra is closer to Somalia than Yemen and has been spared war for a decade, the current escalation could end this fragile isolation, according to the quoted source.
