"They keep going on the news and saying they're doing everything they can to get Americans out. I know for a fact they're not. She said she repeatedly messaged the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait before being directed to the consular section, which told her it couldn't help her leave the country and advised her to enroll in the U.S. smart traveler program and shelter in place."
"Having the State Department or whoever tell us, 'You need to get out immediately,' but there's no help, so you're on your own to get your own travel plans. That was the most stressful thing."
"As of Friday, about 27,000 Americans have returned to the U.S. since the war began Feb. 28, the State Department said. The vast majority of them made their own way out without U.S. government assistance."
Following Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran, thousands of American travelers became stranded across the Middle East and beyond as airports closed and flights were canceled. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait directed stranded citizen Alyssa Ramos to shelter in place rather than assist her evacuation. Of approximately 27,000 Americans who returned to the U.S. since the conflict began, the vast majority arranged their own departures without government help. Meanwhile, Poland, Australia, France and other nations quickly dispatched military and chartered aircraft for their citizens. Stranded Americans expressed frustration over conflicting guidance and lack of support, while the Trump administration defended its response and announced the first U.S.-chartered repatriation flight had arrived.
#american-evacuation #middle-east-conflict #government-response #stranded-travelers #iran-israel-tensions
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