400 tourists stuck on island as flights halted over Yemen fighting: officials

Hundreds of tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were grounded due to clashes on the mainland, two officials and a travel agency told AFP on Monday.

Over the past few days, flights in and out of Yemen have been largely restricted following a flare-up of violence between rival armed factions loosely grouped under the government but separately backed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Socotra’s deputy governor for culture and tourism, Yahya bin Afrar, told AFP there were “more than 400 foreign tourists” there, adding “their flights have been suspended”.

Another local official said all foreign and domestic flights had been grounded on the island since a state of emergency was declared late last month.

“We now have 416 foreigners stranded of different nationalities, including more than 60 Russians,” he said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

A travel agent in Socotra, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave a similar figure.

ALSO READ: Trump downplays scandal over leaked Yemen air strike chat

The island usually has three weekly flights from the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi carrying foreign tourists, the local official said.

“We have appealed and called for the resumption of flights,” he told AFP, adding that the airport should be “kept away from political conflict”.

With its lush landscape, distinctive “dragon blood” trees, unique animals and turquoise waters home to dolphins, Yemen’s Socotra archipelago has been a magnet for adventurous travellers and influencers for years.

Many set off from the wealthy UAE, the main backer of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces that control the islands.

Reaching out to embassies

A Western diplomat told AFP that “dozens” of foreign tourists who went to the island to celebrate the New Year were now stranded after their flights were cancelled.

“People are stuck on the island and reaching out to their embassies now for help to be evacuated. Their relevant embassies have reached out to the Saudi and Yemeni governments to seek their evacuation.”

ALSO READ: 33 dead as Trump orders strikes on Huthis in Yemen

Another Western diplomat told AFP that “there’s a mix of nationalities including British, French and American”.

The travel agent in Socotra said at least two Chinese nationals were also among those stranded.

In a post on X on Sunday, Polish foreign ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewior said Polish tourists were stuck too, adding that flights to Socotra by an Emirati airline had been suspended until Tuesday.

“Socotra is located in a highly unstable region where an armed conflict has been ongoing for years. Currently, the security situation has further deteriorated — due to the intensification of military operations, airspace has been closed,” the post added.

Territorial clashes

The airport in Yemen’s Aden on the mainland has been functional since Sunday after disruptions that lasted for several days.

Lying in the Indian Ocean around 350 kilometres (217 miles) off the Yemeni coast, the four islands and two rocky islets of the Socotra archipelago are home to around 50,000 people and have remained relatively untouched by the war that has devastated the mainland.

ALSO READ: WHO chief says narrowly escaped death in Israeli strikes on Yemen airport

The Saudis and Emiratis have for years supported rival factions in Yemen’s fractious government, but a recent offensive by the UAE-backed secessionist STC to capture two large provinces angered Riyadh.

The Saudis have hit back hard in recent days, targeting the STC and an alleged Emirati weapons shipment with air strikes, routing most of their forces and reversing the earlier gains.

The Yemeni government is a patchwork of groups that includes the separatists, and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The Houthis pushed the government out of Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.