A newly established flight evacuation corridor has offered a lifeline to around 300 Batswana stranded in the conflict‑riddled Middle East as hostilities between the United States and Iran continue to escalate
BONGANI MALUNGA
The establishment of a new flight evacuation corridor has offered a lifeline to around 300 Batswana stranded in the conflict-ridden Middle-East as hostilities between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.
Amid widespread airspace closures and travel disruption across the region, the corridor is enabling citizens to depart danger zones safely, easing anxieties at a time of acute uncertainty for families back home.
The Ministry of International Relations has confirmed that a significant number of Batswana are currently residing or transiting through Middle Eastern countries including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Reports of explosions, missile interceptions and air raid sirens in parts of the region have prompted urgent diplomatic engagement.
OPTIMISM
Speaking during a televised interview, the Acting Ambassador of Botswana to Kuwait, Amangwe Madisakwana, said the announcement of an evacuation corridor has renewed government optimism. He explained that officials are actively assessing how the corridor could be used to safely extract citizens facing heightened risk.
“We have been informed that a flight evacuation corridor has been established, and this development gives us hope,” Madisakwana said. “We will pursue it to assist Batswana who may find themselves in difficult or dangerous circumstances. Our priority is to explore all feasible options to ensure their safety.”
CONSTANT COMMUNICATION
Madisakwana also stated that constant communication lines with Batswana in the Middle East has been established through the formation of a WhatsApp group whereby the government keeps in touch with Batswana in the area. He stated that the government is up to date with the wellbeing of a large number of Batswana in the Middle East.
The Ministry of International Relations has urged Batswana in the affected countries to remain in contact with diplomatic missions, register their presence and follow official advisories as contingency plans continue to be refined.
“Batswana are advised to avoid travelling to the affected countries and re-route their travel away from the Middle East airspace until the situation has calmed. Batswana in these countries are also requested to contact the Botswana Embassy in the State of Kuwait and the Botswana High Commission in London, or any Embassy nearby, for assistance,” the ministry stated last Friday.