Scores of foreigners seeking adventure on a remote Indian Ocean island are stranded there as their trips are disrupted by rising tensions between Yemen’s warring parties and their supporters.
Western tourists told CNN that up to “hundreds” of people are stranded on Yemen’s Socotra island, located between the Gulf of Aden, the Guardafi Strait and the Arabian Sea, due to a state of emergency that has closed all ports of entry.
CNN cannot independently verify how many tourists are stranded on Socotra, but understands that it can at least keep track of the scores.
Known for its unique biodiversity, the island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a regional hub for adventure tourism, especially among foreigners who fly in from the neighboring United Arab Emirates. Visitors can expect to see dramatic cliffs, pristine white sand beaches, and exotic plants like the Dragon’s Blood Tree.
Socotra’s remoteness from the mainland has shielded it from the worst of Yemen’s long-running conflict. But regional tensions, which culminated last week with a Saudi attack on UAE-linked cargo in Yemen, are now having an impact.
Last week, the U.S. State Department announced that it had received reports of commercial flight closures, cancellations, or redirections to nearby airports to and from Socotra.
The State Department advised against travel to Yemen, adding that “the U.S. government is unable to provide emergency or routine consular services to U.S. nationals in Yemen, including on Socotra Island.”
One American resident of Socotra, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said the tourists are physically safe but don’t know when they will be able to return home.
“There are a lot of[tourists],” said the American tourist, adding that his group has started contacting others at nearby campsites.
“We have all kinds of Westerners here. Hundreds of them.”
Rocky Road Travel, a Berlin-based tourism agency with at least 14 people stranded on Socotra Island, said it had contacted the U.S. embassies in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, as well as several European missions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, for assistance.
Tourists on the island told CNN that the embassy has so far been able to provide little assistance. Few Western countries have diplomatic presence in Yemen as the conflict continues, with most addressing concerns from nearby capitals.
CNN has reached out to the foreign ministries of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as the US embassy in Riyadh, which includes Yemen, for comment.
Gerrit van Wijngaarden, a Dutch-Polish man, was staying on Socotra with his wife, three children, and grandchildren. He had planned to stay on the island for a week, but ended up staying 11 days.
“A lot of planes came and there are no more planes. There are a lot of people on this island right now,” he told CNN, adding that the embassy “unfortunately can’t do anything because we don’t have an office in Yemen.”
Van Wijngaarden says there are up to 100 Polish tourists on the island. The Polish embassy in Saudi Arabia, which deals with the concerns of Polish nationals living in Yemen, has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
With flights canceled, some tourists have been advised to take commercial ships from the island to Oman and then fly back to Europe or the United States, van Weingarden said, adding that he had not made any arrangements to travel by boat.
Socotra Island has been controlled by Yemen’s UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) since 2020. However, the UAE maintains significant economic influence over the island, which some analysts say amounts to de facto control over the region.
Tensions in Yemen have escalated in recent weeks after the STC seized control of the country’s south in early December, seizing large swaths of territory and forcing Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces from those areas.
Regional feuds then erupted into public view when Saudi Arabia bombed the war-torn country’s port city of Mukalla, accusing two UAE ships of handing over weapons and combat vehicles to separatist forces.
The UAE has since announced the withdrawal of its troops from Yemen, but the situation remains volatile, especially after the STC announced it would hold an independence referendum within two years to support “the exercise of the right of self-determination by the peoples of the south.” This includes the island of Socotra.
Flights are expected to resume this week, but it is not yet clear when. For now, many visitors are waiting to return home.
Although there is no shortage of food or other supplies, the situation remains frustrating. “I hope someone is doing something,” Van Wijngaarden said.
