Ane Lone Bagger stranded in Dubai: We feared for our lives

Many thousands of tourists are stranded in Dubai after Israel and the US began their bombing of Iran.

One of them is Ane Lone Bagger, who, together with four other adults and a three-year-old grandson, is sitting in a hotel room waiting for the airline Emirates to take them safely out of the country.

- Of course, it is very unsafe to be in the middle of the conflict and see and hear missiles exploding in the air, says Ane Lone Bagger, who had been looking forward to celebrating her 60th birthday with her family in more calm surroundings.

They arrived in Dubai on February 22, before the airstrikes against Iran began, and were scheduled to fly from Dubai on March 1. But since the war started it has been impossible to get a flight home, and they are now in their fourth day waiting for when it is safe and possible to return home.

Most frightening

The most frightening experience was the night before the planned departure day.

- We had gone to bed when everyone got an alarm message on our mobile phones. We had to seek safe places. Away from windows and doors. Iran had just launched attacks on the surrounding countries, and Dubai was one of the targets, Ane Lone Bagger tells Sermitsiaq.

- That night, we didn't know if the situation could escalate. That's why we were all very fearful for our lives. We were only five kilometers away from the hotel that was hit by a missile, reports Ane Lone Bagger.

- Before going to bed, we had prepared our necessary belongings, such as passports, chargers, power banks, since the plan was that we would travel home the next day. We had the equipment with us down to the more protected areas, where we had to seek refuge. After two hours, the airstrikes died down, and we could go back to our rooms, says Ane Lone Bagger, who did not get much sleep that night.

Effective air defense

As the days have passed, the insecurity is not as firmly rooted in the soul.

- We gradually found out that the air defense was really effective, as the majority of the drones and missiles sent towards the city were shot down before they could do any harm, says the former Naalakkersuisoq, who a few weeks ago announced that she is running in the Folketing elections for the Siumut party.

It has also helped a lot that the locals have taken the tense situation calmly, and “they have assured us that we are protected”.

The family is in regular contact with the airline Emirates, which is doing everything it can to be helpful with rebooking, advice and guidance. And they are staying informed via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' citizen service.

Air traffic is now slowly starting to resume. But there are many thousands of people who want to get out of the country and home to much safer conditions as soon as possible. The world's largest airport has become a bottleneck for passengers eager to return home.

Fake news Ane Lone Bagger says that they spend a lot of time keeping informed about the situation, and that you also have to be careful about what you hear and read.

- Fake news is also rampant here, she notes.

The family has had their return trip postponed several times. Now they are betting that the latest report is correct, in which they have been given the prospect of being able to return home on March 5. But nothing is certain in the highly tense situation in the Middle East.