Over 17 lakh Nepalis stranded at Tribhuvan International Airport due to Israel-Iran tension

Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The military tension in the Middle East has directly affected the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu in the last 24 hours.

Flights to destinations including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been affected after some countries closed the airspace due to the retaliation between Israel and Iran.

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at the airport since Saturday after the flight was canceled. Even on Sunday morning, passengers were confused as they did not get clear information about when the flight would resume.

Passengers are in a dilemma due to lack of concrete information even though information is pasted on the airport premises. Many passengers have been forced to return to hotels on their own as airlines have not made arrangements for alternative accommodation, while some are waiting for their tickets to be rescheduled.

No money to stay, no money to return home

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Parameshwar Shah, who arrived in Kathmandu from Siraha, was leaving for Qatar on Saturday night. But after the flight was canceled, he stopped at the airport. “I had to go to Qatar yesterday. I don’t have the money to stay here, I can’t go back home. The government should help,” he complained. He said that the airline did not resolve the problem by showing the notice of suspension of operations.

According to government data, more than 6 lakh Nepalis are working in the UAE. There are around 500,000 Nepalis working in Qatar, around 450,000 in Saudi Arabia, around 120,000 in Kuwait and 50,000 each in Bahrain and Oman. There are about 5,000 Nepalis working in Israel, mainly in the field of care and agriculture.

Around 1,500 youths are expected to leave for West Asia every day from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for employment.

Since a large proportion of those going abroad are young and working-age groups, this situation will have a direct impact on the income of thousands of families.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Warning

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Nepalis living in Israel, Iran and other countries of the Middle East to remain alert. The Ministry has urged all to strictly follow the directives provided by the local security bodies, not to go out unnecessarily, to stay indoors as far as possible and not to travel without prior permission.

Those planning to travel to Israel or Iran have been advised to postpone travel until the situation returns to normal.

Embassies request

The Embassy of Abu Dhabi has urged Nepalis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) not to travel unnecessarily and to remain cautious. The Embassy of Nepal in Doha has urged Nepalis in Iran not to travel without prior approval from the local authorities and to strictly follow the security directives. The Embassy said it was monitoring the situation closely.

Uncertainty will continue at the airport until there is a clear information about when the flights will be fully regularized. The growing military activities in the Middle East have raised serious concerns about both the safety and mobility of more than 17 lakh Nepalis working in the Gulf countries.