"I felt betrayed and left out to dry by my own government. The support, or lack thereof, from the US Government, has been utterly disgraceful. Across the Middle East, Americans have been struggling to reconcile the US government's official advice - depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks - with the reality on the ground."
"In its latest guidance, the US government urged Americans to depart from 14 countries and territories in the Middle East. But with key airports shut down, most US embassies closed, and many receiving automated messages on an official government helpline, Americans have found themselves trapped and wondering exactly how to follow that advice."
"The US government's guidance to use commercial means to return home has been proving difficult. While many governments have launched or are organizing their own repatriation flights to help citizens get home, there was no such plan from the US government until Tuesday evening ET, when the State Department announced that it was facilitating charter flights."
Following strikes on Dubai's Burj Khalifa hotel, Americans traveling in the Middle East found themselves unable to leave despite US government directives to depart via commercial means. The government urged citizens to leave 14 countries and territories, but closed airspaces, shut airports, and unresponsive embassies made evacuation nearly impossible. Many Americans reported feeling abandoned by their government. The State Department did not announce charter flight assistance until Tuesday evening, days after the initial crisis. Major airlines suspended scheduled flights, leaving tourists with few departure options. Airspace closures in Qatar, Bahrain, Israel, and Kuwait further complicated evacuation efforts, while only limited flights operated from the UAE.
#american-evacuation-crisis #middle-east-travel-disruption #government-response-failure #airport-closures-and-airspace-restrictions #repatriation-flights
Read at Business Insider
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