Staff Reporter|Published1 hour agoCaught in chaos: Capetonians in Dubai during missile attacks

Dalin Oliver reflects on his Dubai experience amid missile strikes. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed that it is actively communicating with South Africans stranded in Gulf nations in the wake of the recent US and Israeli military strikes on Iran and the ensuing retaliatory attacks. DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said no South Africans stated that they are in distress so far, while the deputy director-general, Clayson Monyela, said the department is in communication with South Africans stranded in the region and is reviewing evacuation contingencies.

“So far we have not lost anybody. The South Africans we know of are all accounted for. But the challenge is that unfortunately, it is not possible to move people out to those places because there is no means to do that,” Monyela said.

The departments said evacuations of South Africans in Gulf nations can’t take place until the bombing stops. As a result, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirmed that at least 14 international flights were cancelled from Sunday until further notice. ACSA said this is primarily due to the closure of airspace over the UAE and Qatar.

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The disruptions saw eight cancellations (seven outbound and one inbound) in OR Tambo International. Four outbound flights have been cancelled at the Cape Town International, while King Shaka International cancelled two outbound.

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