Holding their breath, they hold the unshakable hope of soon returning home . The Italians (and many Sardinians) stranded in Doha and Dubai are experiencing hours of apprehension: among them, those who were on cruises to the Emirati metropolis and those who, instead, reached the city from other countries and are waiting for a flight back to Italy . For the cruise passengers stranded in Dubai, this was the third night of waiting. The passengers – including more than a dozen from Cagliari – still have no news on the possible date of their return . The captain's last communication, which arrived mid-morning, brought no substantial news. The staff aboard the MSC Euribia advised them to remain on the ship or in the maritime station: it is best not to approach Dubai.
The night passed peacefully, without hearing the explosions of the past few days, but the desire to return home and the desire to have "dates or guarantees for their return" is growing. Yesterday, passengers were invited by the ship's staff to fill out the form prepared at the request of the embassy and consulate, to register their data on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Viaggiare Sicuri app. As Giovanni Melis, one of the stranded cruise passengers, explains: "Passengers are commuting to and from the terminal on land, just to ease the tension. In the background, we can see the city: traffic seems fairly normal. Taxis are parked, and there's little movement because people are afraid and aren't leaving. At least we haven't heard any explosions. On the ship, everyone remains calm, but we always wait for some official announcement with clear instructions, because people want to go home."
Gianluigi Spano, stranded in Doha on his way back from a trip to Sri Lanka with another Sardinian couple, is also holding his breath . "Unfortunately, there's no news here. We've heard Minister Tajani's interviews, where he talks about transferring those stranded in Dubai via buses in Oman or other airports, providing a link to book transfers." But the issue seems difficult to resolve. "We've also called the number provided by the Task Force, but the answers are vague and without any hope of a quick resolution. Meanwhile, we continue to hear the bombings and military planes passing over Doha all night. Frankly, we would have expected embassy officials to visit the hotels where the Italians are staying."
(Unioneonline/vf)