‘Are we safe?’: Questions trapped Australians are asking as Middle East conflict leaves thousands cut off
With airspace closed, major airlines canceling flights and more than 150,000 Australians stranded in the Middle East, one question remains: “Are we safe?”
The conflict reached its third day; Missile attacks from the US, Israel and Iran are leaving thousands of Australians trying to find a way home.
Lucy Edgar, who moved to Dubai with her husband and son last year, is one of many struggling for answers.
Speaking to A Current Affair on Tuesday night, Ms Edgar revealed that her family often took refuge in the bathroom of their hotel in Dubai as missiles hit the capital.
Sometimes they have to stay in the shelter for up to three hours a day.
“It was a feeling of the unknown, like where these missiles are, what’s going to happen and are we safe,” he told the programme.
Ms Edgar revealed she took refuge in the bathroom with her 2-year-old son after receiving a chilling emergency alert on her phone.
“Immediately seek shelter in a safe building and move away from windows, doors and open areas,” the warning read.
Now he is looking for a way out if the airspaces open, but he “doesn’t feel safe getting on a plane and being in the sky.”
Canberra native Stefania Rose and her husband headed to Türkiye and stopped in Dubai for a few days.
Their holidays were halted by Iranian airstrikes that hit nearby hotels.
“It shook our hotel room,” Ms Rose told the programme.
Her hotel advised her and her husband to “stay on the hotel premises as much as possible until further notice.”
Many of the UAE’s ionic buildings were hit or damaged, including the Fairmont The Palm hotel and the Burj Al Arab hotel in the Palm Jumeirah area.
Iran launched its ballistic missiles and drones at US bases in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, February 28, a day before Sharon and Gal Benjamin flew home.
Now they are stranded in Dubai.
“This is a scary situation,” Mr. Benjamin told host Ally Langdon.
The UAE said that as of Tuesday, March 3, its air defenses had intercepted a total of 174 missiles and 689 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran.
Emirates temporarily suspended all flights to and from Dubai and operated a limited number of flights on Monday evening.
However, passengers were informed “not to go to the airport unless you are notified” and that all other flights were postponed until further notice.
Dubai International Airport faced a total of 548 cancellations on Tuesday.
