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Nova Scotians are among the estimated 2,000 Canadians asking for help to get home since large swaths of airspace closed in parts of the Middle East due to conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.
Qatar is one of the countries Iran has targeted for retaliatory strikes. Maryam Kareem of Halifax and her mother arrived in Doha, its capital city, on Friday. Kareem said they were planning to catch a flight to Iraq to visit her grandmother, who recently suffered a stroke. But on Saturday, airspace over Qatar closed and they received multiple alerts from local authorities to shelter in place.
“It feels lonely, I would say, scary too. I’m sure I’m not the only one and when I speak, I’m not just speaking for myself. I know many other Canadians are in the same situation and facing the same uncertainty,” Kareem, 27, told CBC News on Thursday.
Kareem, a nursing student, said she and her mom have return flights to Canada booked for March 18.
“But we’re uncertain if that’s going to be open by then or the air space is going to be open by then. And by the looks of it, it looks like it’s getting worse,” Kareem said.
Since Saturday, Kareem said it’s been “constant” strikes. Kareem said most of the strikes have been intercepted.
WATCH | Minister lays out evacuation plan:
Anand lays out plan to evacuate Canadians from Middle East
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand explained Ottawa’s plan Wednesday to evacuate Canadians from a number of countries in the Middle East, in response to the U.S. and Israel-Iran war. Three key options are being sourced for Canadians depending on the region: chartered flights, blocked bookings and land transportation.
“It wakes you up from sleep. You feel the whole building shake even if the [missiles are] intercepted in the sky. You feel the windows shake. It’s very uncertain, we don’t know some of them if they’re intercepted or if some of them have fell,” she said.
One of the first things she said she did was contact the Canadian embassy. She said they told her to shelter in place and follow advice of local authorities.
She said supermarkets and essential services have been open 24 hours in Doha so people can access what they need.
Maryam Kareem spoke with CBC News over video chat from Doha, Qatar. The Halifax nursing student said she is hoping to be back home soon. (CBC)
Amanda Williams, who is originally from Neils Harbour, N.S., has lived in Doha since 1998. She is married and has two teenaged children. She is trying to get them out.
“It’s been surreal. Qatar has always been a place where it has been a pinnacle of safety and a very calm, moderate life. You can leave your doors unlocked, you can leave your purse on a restaurant table. It’s that safe here,” Williams told CBC’s Information Morning Halifax.
“So come Saturday, it was Saturday morning for us, to start receiving emergency alerts one after the other notifying us of ballistic attacks and drone attacks. It didn’t seem real.”
‘Air of suspense’
Williams said she’s grateful Qatar has helped keep people safe. She said most of the explosions she’s hearing are interceptions.
“People are still walking around, living their lives a bit but there’s is just a bit of an air of suspense of what’s coming next,” she said.
Williams said they are making plans to leave Qatar by driving to Saudi Arabia and flying out. But she said her passport, which she had sent for renewal, is stuck at the Canadian embassy.
“It’s been sitting there for days and there’s no one in the embassy to actually allow me to go and collect it,” Williams said. “…they’ve just told me they’re working remotely and there’s no way for you to get your passport. I’m really not asking them for any assistance, I’m just asking for my document.”
Flying out via Saudi Arabia
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand outlined three options for Canadians trying to leave the Middle East: chartered flights, blocked bookings and land transportation.
“The availability of those options will largely depend on the particular country. For example, if airspace is open or not and, for example, if we are able to advise travel over land.”
Anand said Qatar Airlines is arranging bus transportation for 200 Canadians with existing tickets to an airport in Saudi Arabia for a flight out.
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