Calamity Fund to cover extra costs for package travelers stranded in Middle East
The Calamity Fund will reimburse package travellers stranded in the Middle East for additional expenses incurred. The fund is available to travelers who booked a package holiday consisting of flights and accommodation with a travel agency affiliated with the fund. Most travel agencies are, NU.nl reported.
An independent commission has officially declared the situation in the Middle East a calamity. On Saturday, the United States and Israel started attacking Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has also been carrying out retaliatory attacks. Due to the conflict, airspace in the Middle East is closed, and flights have been canceled, leaving many travelers stranded.
Now that a calamity has been declared, the Calamity Fund can step in. The fund covers costs like extended hotel stays and additional travel expenses. Travelers to countries further afield in Asia who had a stopover in the Middle East can also apply for compensation.
The Calamity Fund’s money comes from every traveler making a small contribution to it when purchasing a package holiday.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued code red travel alerts for Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories due to the attacks. It added Bahrain to the list on Sunday. Dutch nationals in these areas are advised to leave if they can do so safely. “It is too dangerous. The Dutch embassy cannot help you if you get into trouble,” the Ministry warned.
The Dutch consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region, has also urged Dutch people in the area to avoid hotels in the city due to “unconfirmed signals of possible attacks.” Since the American and Israeli attacks on Iran, there have been reported attacks using drones on American targets. Four hotels may be at risk.
