37 Portuguese stranded because airspace has been closed
A group of Portuguese nationals stranded in Jordan due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran accuses Portuguese authorities of leaving them high and dry.
According to Lusa, “Portuguese authorities have provided limited support”. But Carlos Lima, one of the 37 and himself described as a diplomat, suggests it has fallen far too short.
The problems stem from the closing of airspace over much of the conflict zone (Middle East generally). Many of the Portuguese are elderly and in Amman, the Jordanian capital, which, says Lusa, “lies along the route of the missiles exchanged since Friday between Tel Aviv and Tehran”.
Lima has told the state news agency that missiles have been flying “at high speed” over the hotel where the Portuguese group is staying, and the hotel itself is “located in one of the tallest buildings in Amman”.
The inference is that the tourists do not feel in the least bit safe. They are “very concerned”, Lima tells Lusa, and their families here in Portugal are “extremely worried”.
“These Portuguese nationals are in the midst of an unprecedented conflict, and experts anticipate varied outcomes and consequences, so it is imperative that the Portuguese authorities immediately ensure their urgent return, and it is up to them to decide how to do so, whether through the scheduled flight or a special rescue operation,” he said.
But up to this point, national authorities had not contacted the group.
“Given this lack of contact, the group will attempt to travel by land to southern Jordan today and cross into Egypt, seeking to reach Cairo, from where they will board a flight to Portugal”, writes Lusa.
“The Portuguese state still needs preparation to support its citizens in a situation like this, at a time when the world is in turmoil, with serious armed conflicts. The Portuguese state does not seem to see this as a priority,” Carlos Lima complains.
“Our authorities should react differently; the matter is very serious, and it must be a top priority within their institutional obligations.”
Lusa says it has contacted a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said that the government has been monitoring the situation of these Portuguese citizens in recent days.
The Israeli attacks, carried out by 200 aircraft against a hundred targets, mainly hit Tehran (north), the uranium enrichment plants in Fordow and Natanz (centre), Mehrabad national airport and several military bases.
Iran retaliated with hundreds of missiles aimed at the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The conflict has already left many people dead, more than a thousand wounded on both sides, and destroyed a great deal of civilian infrastructure, including homes.
Source material: LUSA
