‘I’m on medication and I’m dying’: Canadians are protesting to leave the Middle East – nationally
Canadians are still confused about parts of the Middle East as the war involving Iran continues to disrupt travel, grounding thousands of flights and leaving some tourists scrambling to find their way home.
Global Affairs Canada says as of Wednesday, more than 106,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents are registered in the Gulf region, a number that has been increasing since Sunday.
Brothers Kimball and Ravi Sarin are among those caught up in the wider scandal. The Canadians were due to leave Sri Lanka on Saturday after a month-long holiday, but their flight was canceled amid travel chaos.
“We had another flight. We were denied twice at the airport,” Kimball Sarin told Global News.
His brother said the delay was urgent. “I’m on medication and I’m running out. I only have a few days left (for me),” said Ravi Sarin.
Ottawa says it has secured a limited number of seats on commercial flights from Beirut and is looking at other options.
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Foreign Minister Anita Anand said the Israeli Ministry of Tourism operates buses to the Menachem Begin border crossing between Eilat and Taba, Egypt.
However, Anand said Global Affairs Canada does not provide travel assistance.
Will McAleer of the Travel Health Insurance Association said travelers in affected areas may have limited options.
“That means make sure you understand how you can get out, or if you’re in one of the affected areas where they’ve stopped all flight operations, that means you need to stay still,” he said.
In Doha, where the airport remains closed, Canadians are waiting for conditions to change.
Stephen Lougheed from Queen’s University and a group of students returning from a trip to Sri Lanka were interrupted when their journey home was stopped in Qatar.
“The airspace is closed because there are still missiles being fired and drones flying,” said Lougheed.
The group has been staying at a hotel while they consider whether to travel internationally, although Lougheed said the situation could change quickly. “There has been peace in the wars, but that can change a little,” he said.
A Quebec woman told Global News that she has been calling her sister almost every hour since Sunday after she went missing in Qatar.
Melissa Agathiadis says her sister, Stephanie Agathiadis, was supposed to return home on March 2 from a three-week trip to Thailand and Vietnam. Instead, Stephanie and her partner got stuck in Qatar during a layover after the airport was closed. “Arrows are flying left and right,” said Stephanie Agathiadis.
The Sarin brothers say they have now booked another flight to Toronto via Hong Kong on Friday, although they are still cautious.
“We’re afraid to get too excited about going home right now, but we’re hopeful,” said Kimball Sarin.
The trip back to Canada is expected to take about 35 hours, if it goes ahead as planned.
