Smoke rises after reported Iranian missile attacks, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, February 28, 2026.
Countries with significant diasporas in the Middle East were on Wednesday scrambling to rescue nationals stranded as the war pitting the US and Israel against Iran threatened to engulf the entire Gulf region.
Kenya’s Diaspora Principal Secretary, Roselyne Njogu, said on Monday that Kenya had not yet begun evacuations but confirmed “there is a plan”, urging Kenyans to register on the Diaspora portal and provide contact details.
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs evacuated staff and nationals from its Tehran mission to neighbouring Türkiye, with assistance from Turkish security agencies. Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire said most Ugandans in Iran are scholarship students, expected to arrive in Entebbe on Thursday morning aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
The ministry did not disclose costs but said it had organised a 24‑hour bus journey from Tehran to the Gürbulak border post on the Türkiye–Iran frontier, after which the Turkish government issued transit visas. The students were later transported by road to Istanbul.
“Our embassy has constantly been in touch with these students. In June, we evacuated 43, and the same has happened this time. The embassy quickly organised road transport to the Turkish–Iranian border, where they were received by our mission in Ankara,” Bagiire said in Kampala.
A departure board displays cancelled flights in front of an empty Qatar Airways check-in area amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, in Greater London, Britain, March 2, 2026.
Overall, evacuations have become scarce and costly.
Yesterday, Kenya Airways announced repatriation flights between Nairobi and Dubai, scheduled to run from Wednesday to Thursday, but did not disclose fares for these special missions. Priority was to be given to passengers whose flights had been cancelled.
“Customers are advised to check their flight status at https://ow.ly/OOKb50Yp0Xi and update their contact details through the Manage Booking option on our website: https://ow.ly/vpIG50Yp0Xk so we can reach them directly with further updates,” the airline said.
As with most evacuation flights, standard fares do not apply, and passengers were expected to pay above the usual rate.
The Dubai Airport Authority allowed limited evacuation slots, giving airlines 30‑minute windows to board and depart. Only those contacted and able to reach the airport within the timeframe were permitted to board.
Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is one of the most common Gulf destinations for Africans travelling for work, business and tourism. The wider Middle East hosts even larger African diasporas. Kenya, for instance, estimates some 500,000 nationals in the region at any given time, though the figure does not distinguish between workers, travellers or business executives.
Qatar airline staff stand by a departure board displaying cancelled flights to Middle East countries at Heathrow Airport in London on March 2, 2026 amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
All were caught in the melee as Iran fired missiles and drones in retaliation for US–Israeli bombardments. While some Gulf cities saw a return to normalcy, Iran vowed to continue firing as long as attacks persisted.
The result has been desperation among expatriates. Western countries such as the US and UK advised their nationals to leave immediately, evacuating non‑essential diplomatic staff and families.
For ordinary travellers, options grew more expensive by the day. Some foreigners drove to Muscat in Oman, the nearest safe capital with flights still operating normally. But the cost of the 450km road journey soared to as much as $1,000 from usual $30 by bus, according to those who fled. Normally, Muscat is a 30‑minute flight from Dubai costing about $150. Dubai became unsafe after Iran fired nearly 1,000 missiles, some striking a hotel, Dubai International Airport and the US Consulate.
This war echoes last year’s crisis when the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites, and months earlier when Israel intensified its pursuit of Hezbollah in Lebanon. During the Lebanon war, Kenya allocated about $775,000 to evacuate citizens trapped in Beirut.
Ngovi Kitau, a former Kenyan ambassador to Korea and now a lecturer in international relations in Nairobi, said African countries must budget for evacuations during emergencies, especially as such events have become frequent since the Covid‑19 pandemic.
“The cost depends on the size of the diaspora and visiting citizens,” he told the Nation.
“Countries with national airlines and military aircraft should dispatch rescue planes immediately. Embassies and high commissions should also maintain budgets for at least one plane load, depending on diaspora numbers.”
Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026.
Budgeting remains the main headache. Kenya has faced three recent distress calls: during the Covid‑19 pandemic in 2020, the rescue of trafficked Kenyans stranded in Thailand in 2024–25, and the Israeli–Hezbollah conflict in early 2025. For Lebanon and Thailand, Kenya allocated about $850,000 overall. Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has urged parliament to include such expenditure in government budgets.
“The public often blames the executive. But in reality, it is parliament that decides on these resources,” he told MPs last year.
Officials have often avoided such allocations for fear of abuse. But as evacuations become routine, the case for budgeting grows stronger. Kitau argues it should be straightforward:
“For example, if the Kenyan diaspora in a country is 200 people, and about 50 Kenyans are visiting at any given time, the embassy should budget to airlift 300 citizens. If a return ticket costs $2,000, the embassy should maintain a budget of $600,000. This is not new; it has been implemented before.”
Kenya has about 500,000 nationals in Gulf countries but has yet to announce evacuation plans. It previously evacuated citizens from South Sudan when war erupted in 2013, and later from Yemen when Houthis intensified attacks in 2020, though at great expense. During Covid‑19, Kenyans stranded abroad were asked to pay for their tickets.
Across the continent, officials in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa and Nigeria expressed concern for their nationals. Most initially avoided announcing evacuations, focusing instead on removing diplomatic staff, especially in Tehran, which has faced joint US–Israeli bombardments since Saturday.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and Tanzania’s Foreign Ministry advised nationals to stay indoors and provided emergency contacts.
Smoke rises after reported Iranian missile attacks, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, February 28, 2026.
Experts argue Africa has yet to learn key lessons, particularly on communication.
“Too often citizens rely on informal networks more than consular systems. Yet these workers send billions home each year, sustaining households and shoring up foreign exchange,” said Abdisaid M Ali, Chair of the Lomé Security Forum and former Somali foreign minister.
African diasporas remitted some $54 billion in 2024, with about $4.5 billion going to Kenya. Nearly a third came from the Gulf, according to the World Bank.
“Remittances are welcomed as economic support, while protection is treated as an afterthought. Labour export has served as a safety valve, but it also imports geopolitical risk. The solution requires permanent evacuation protocols, contingency funding, insurance, collective labour bargaining where possible, and a serious domestic jobs strategy. Sovereignty is measured in the capacity to protect citizens abroad and build opportunity at home,” he told the Nation.
In South Africa, officials sought Iranian cooperation. The Iranian Embassy in Pretoria pledged to work closely with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). Iranian ambassador Seyed Mostafa Daryabari said Africans’ welfare would be prioritised.
“In the midst of this turmoil, we are deeply concerned about South African citizens caught in this unfortunate situation. Their safety is a priority, and we are in direct communication with our officials in Iran to ensure their safe return,” he said.
South Africa prepared evacuation plans should the situation worsen. Nigeria and Ghana also authorised their embassies in the Gulf and Iran to monitor nationals’ safety. A Ghanaian football team was among those caught in the melee, finding shelter at the Ghanaian mission.
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