The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised its travel advice for Bahrain to red due to security risks and advises people not to travel to the country under any circumstances. “It is too dangerous. The Dutch embassy cannot help you if you get into trouble,” the ministry said.
On Saturday, the Netherlands issued a red travel warning for Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories due to ongoing attacks in the Middle East. The government advises Dutch nationals currently in Bahrain to leave the country safely if possible.
Following the recent attacks, the ministry has set the warning level at orange for many other countries in the region, advising travel only if strictly necessary. The affected countries include the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar. The ministry has issued a red warning for the islands of Abu Musa and Tunb, north of the UAE.
The ministry and local embassies published information updates on Sunday for several Middle Eastern countries. These updates include details on the current situation. “The risk of new attacks remains. During an attack, stay in a safe place and always follow instructions from local authorities,” the message for the UAE said.
The updates also report closed airspace and advise leaving the region by land, for example, via Jordan. Jordan’s airspace remains open. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is managing expectations, among others, in its message on Qatar. “In all situations, given the large number of affected Dutch nationals and the uncertain situation, it may unfortunately take some time at present to find a suitable solution.”
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
