- More than 400 tourists are stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra.
- Two Slovak citizens are on the island, the ministry is in contact with them.
- The department issued a recommendation that citizens should not enter the country or stay in Yemen.
- A state of emergency was declared throughout the territory due to the escalation of violence.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFA) of the Slovak Republic is currently registering two Slovak citizens who are currently on the Yemeni island of Socotra. The Department of Diplomacy is in contact with these citizens, the communications department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this for TASR. More than 400 tourists are stranded on a Yemeni island after local flights were suspended due to fighting between rival armed factions on the mainland.
“In connection with the long-standing bad security situation in Yemen, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic already on 13/06/2025 published a travel recommendation of the fourth degree, namely to leave the country. The declaration of this level of travel recommendation was subsequently confirmed as of 12/31/2025,” said the Department of Communications.
In the mentioned travel recommendation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, as a result of the escalation of the security situation in Yemen, a state of emergency was declared on the entire territory of the country from December 30, 2025, for up to 90 days with the possibility of extension. According to the ministry, staying in the entire territory of Yemen poses a serious threat to health and life due to the civil war there, the activities of terrorist organizations and escalating military interventions.
Therefore, the Department advises Slovak citizens not to travel to Yemen “under any circumstances, and advises those staying in Yemen to leave the country as soon as possible”. The Slovak Republic does not have a representative office in Yemen. In the event of a crisis situation, the possibilities of providing consular assistance may be significantly limited or unavailable, the ministry said in a travel advisory.
On Monday, the AFP agency, citing two Yemeni officials and a travel agency, reported on more than 400 tourists stranded on Socotra, whose flights were cancelled. According to the local travel agency, there are many Russians and at least two Chinese among the stranded tourists. Citizens of Britain, France and the USA are also reportedly stranded on the island. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informed about the stranding of Polish tourists in Warsaw.
Yemen has been at war since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels overthrew the country’s government. The new internal conflict involves rival armed factions that formally form the government, but are partly supported by the United Arab Emirates and partly by Saudi Arabia. Flights to and from Yemen have been severely curtailed in recent days due to the escalation of violence between the factions.
