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UPDATE: More Polish tourists evacuated from Yemen’s Socotra island

08.01.2026 15:40
A further 45 Polish nationals have left Yemen’s Socotra island, the Polish Embassy in Riyadh said on Thursday, after being stranded there along with dozens of other foreign tourists following the suspension of flights due to a security-related air blockade.
A Yemeni flag flutters in Sanaa, Yemen, January 2026. While northern Yemen has remained under Houthi control since late 2014, the southern governorates of the country are currently gripped by an armed power struggle between the Saudi-backed government and southern separatists.
A Yemeni flag flutters in Sana'a, Yemen, January 2026. While northern Yemen has remained under Houthi control since late 2014, the southern governorates of the country are currently gripped by an armed power struggle between the Saudi-backed government and southern separatists. Photo: YAHYA ARHAB/PAP/EPA

According to the embassy, another 38 Polish citizens are scheduled to depart the island on 9 January, while an additional scheduled flight operated by Yemenia Airways is planned for 10 January 2026.

Commercial flights from Socotra to Saudi Arabia operate via Aden in southern Yemen and Jeddah on the Red Sea coast.

Polish diplomats in Riyadh said evacuation flights would continue for as long as necessary, until all Polish citizens have safely left the island.

The Polish Foreign Ministry reiterated that the tourists travelled to Yemen despite long-standing official advisories warning against all travel to the country and its territories.

Hundreds of foreign tourists, including Poles, have been left stranded on Socotra, in the Indian Ocean about 250 miles off Yemen’s coast, after flights were grounded due to the recent conflict between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, according to a statement by local authorities (STRINGER/PAP/EPA) Hundreds of foreign tourists, including Poles, have been left stranded on Socotra, in the Indian Ocean about 250 miles off Yemen’s coast, after flights were grounded due to the recent conflict between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, according to a statement by local authorities (STRINGER/PAP/EPA)

Socotra, which belongs to the Republic of Yemen, is considered unsafe due to the ongoing civil war that has affected the country for years.

The ministry also warned that some tour operators continue to offer trips to Socotra despite the security risks, including escalating regional tensions, the renewed air blockade, and limited consular assistance.

Polish citizens who remain in Yemen despite these warnings are urged to register their presence in the Odyseusz travel registration system.

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Source: Polish MFA/X/@PLinSaudiArabia/Polish Radio English Service