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In the midst of escalating tensions with Iran, a Northwestern University professor and her family find themselves in Qatar, forced to take refuge in their home. Christina Paschyn, who teaches journalism, recounted the frightening experience of having to seek shelter in Doha.
The U.S. government has advised its citizens to evacuate the Middle East, but for many expatriates, leaving is not a feasible option. The closure of airspace by several countries has severely restricted travel, and airlines are operating on limited schedules as the region grapples with instability.
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“Qatar has always been a welcoming and peaceful place; seeing it like this is truly heartbreaking,” Paschyn expressed. She noted the absence of any directives to leave, adding, “There was no indication that we should evacuate. No one was telling us to. The State Department was not warning us to evacuate.”
But for some who are overseas, that’s almost impossible because some countries have shut down their airspace. And airlines are offering very limited service across the region, as unrest continues.
“Qatar has always been welcoming and peaceful; it’s very heartbreaking right now,” professor Paschyn said. “There was no indication that we should evacuate. No one was telling us to. The State Department was not warning us to evacuate.”
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Paschyn teaches at Northwestern’s journalism program in Qatar. She’s been living there for almost 15 years.
Paschyn and her family have been forced to shelter in place following the U.S. and Israel launching a joint attack against Iran.
“Our house here in Doha, we only have this small pantry. So that’s what you’re seeing on the screen is our tiny cabinet pantry where we put our kids, put blankets on the floor let them watch as much TV as they wanted because there’s really nothing else to do. We can’t let them go outside,” Paschyn said. “Doha airspace is closed. We can’t fly off from here. The best we could possibly do is somehow find a way to get to Dubai or to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. But even then there’s a huge backlog.”
The same goes for Shekinah Lee from Chicago. Lee said Tuesday morning she is still stranded in Dubai.
She traveled to celebrate her boyfriend at a party and had to shelter at a parking garage.
Lee has not had any luck booking a flight to head home.
“We’re not getting any support from our airline,” Lee said. “We’ve been trying get in contact with them. But due to the volume of the situation, they’re not able to field calls. None of our questions are getting answered.”
Northwestern University does have an evacuation protocol for those in Qatar, that includes using either commercial or chartered flights.
Professor Paschyn said she’s been advised by the university to continue to shelter in place.
Other Americans said they’ve maxed-out their credit cards trying to book flight after flight that keeps getting canceled. They’re having to financially lean on loved ones.
“There are zero flights to the USA at all. So we are just trying to book. We booked to Dublin; that got canceled. We booked to Prague; that got canceled. We’ve got a booking for Singapore, I think,” Palatine resident Dana Mays said. “I just feel like they’re leaving us stuck here. We read article after article and read on the State Department that we should be finding our own commercial passage home. Well, that’s not very helpful when there are no flights going out.”
When called, a U.S. State Department hotline says, “Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points.”
Three women were on their way to a mental health women’s retreat in Bali.
“Within an hour of us landing, we did start to hear the missile alerts,” Lindenhurst resident Natalie Potesta said. “We are minuscule compared to what is happening in this world.”
They got off their first flight in Abu Dhabi and knew something was wrong. A retired army major general was able them get a ride to Dubai in the hopes of finding a flight home.
“We need to get out of here, but so do 10,000 other Americans that are throughout the Middle East,” Potesta said. “Something needs to happen. Something needs to occur quickly, and the organization needs to start now for that to happen.”
It’s been an ironic reality for the women who were taking time to feel restored.
“I was looking to go home a changed person and and, oh, I will, but in a completely different way,” Schaumburg resident Leslie Allenspach said.
Iran is targeting U.S. bases and embassies in its retaliatory efforts.
Trump administration officials say more American forces will be heading to the region and war the hardest hits are yet to come.
“In the first day of the bombing, a school, a girl school, was bombed, and 158 school girls were killed. I mean, those are real lives,” said Ibrahim Abusharif, an NU associate professor of journalism and strategic communication.
Abusharif, a Chicago native who was also teaching in Qatar, is stuck in a hotel in Jordan.
He says he’s disappointed in the administration’s decision to get involved with the Iranian conflict.
“Once you get into that, that state that you, that you can do whatever you want, and it’s always going to be, right? You know, game over,” Abusharif said. “The reality is, this is, if there’s going to be a regime change and has to be from within.”
Elyse Litwack of Rogers Park flew into Jerusalem the morning before the war.
“You saw the rockets in the air. You saw the lights. Literally, I felt like I could put my hand out my car and touch it,” Litwack said.
After days of missile warnings, there’s no telling when the airspace will open.
“I’ve heard everything from tomorrow morning at 2 a.m. to Thursday night to March 12,” Litwack said.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Senate to fill Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat, called a war briefing Tuesday highly unsatisfactory.
“My constituents do not want an endless war,” he said. “What the president has done is potentially put us in a worse position than where we were before.”
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who is running for the same Senate seat, said the president’s entire approach on the hostilities boils down to one thing.
“When I think of how he wants to get his hands on oil or resources it makes me wonder whether this is about that also,” Kelly said. “Frankly, I just think Donald trump wants to be large and in charge.”
Resources
If you are a U.S. citizen in the Middle East, and you want to come home, register with the State Department at Step.State.Gov.
The department will identify where you are, and provide travel options to you. Flights are being chartered free of charge. Commercial options should become increasingly available as time goes on, federal officials said.
U.S. citizens may also call the 24/7 State Department Task Force at +1-202-501-4444.
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