What to Do If You Are Caught in a Conflict Zone

On 28 February 2026, US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran, triggering a rapid escalation across the Middle East. Within days, retaliatory strikes hit the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. Airspace closures grounded flights across the region. Embassies issued shelter-in-place orders. Hundreds of thousands of travellers, expats, and workers found themselves stranded.

Whether you are a business traveller in Dubai, a student in Beirut, or a family on holiday in Jordan — the principles of staying safe in a conflict situation are the same. This guide covers what to do before, during, and after conflict disrupts your travel.

The single most important thing you can do is prepare before you leave. If conflict breaks out, it is too late to start planning.

• Register with your embassy — this is how your government finds you during a crisis
• Share your itinerary with family and at least one trusted contact at home
• Photograph all documents — passport, visa, insurance policy, prescriptions — and store them in cloud storage
• Carry physical copies — if networks go down, your phone may be useless
• Know your nearest embassy or consulate — address, phone number, and opening hours
• Pack a go-bag — passport, cash (US dollars and local currency), phone charger, medication, water, snacks, and a change of clothes
• Download offline maps — Google Maps, Maps.me, or similar for the region
• Learn basic local phrases — "help", "hospital", "embassy", "I am [nationality]"

Registering with your embassy is the single most effective thing you can do to improve your chances of being evacuated or assisted during a crisis. If your government doesn't know you're there, they cannot help you.

If conflict escalates rapidly — as it did across the Middle East in early March 2026 — you may not be able to leave. In this case, sheltering in place is the safest option until evacuation becomes possible.

• Move to an interior room — away from windows, exterior walls, and glass
• Stay below the 3rd floor if in a high-rise — upper floors are more exposed to airstrikes and shrapnel
• Avoid rooftops and balconies — debris and blast waves are lethal
• Fill bathtubs and containers with water — water supply may be cut
• Charge all devices immediately — power outages may follow
• Keep the TV and radio on — monitor local news channels for official updates
• Stay away from military installations, government buildings, and infrastructure — these are targets
• If you hear sirens or explosions, get low and stay low — lie flat on the floor away from windows

During the March 2026 Middle East crisis, airspace closures affected Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and parts of the Gulf. Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and flydubai suspended operations. Many travellers had to exit overland.

Key principles for evacuation:

• Do not wait for a government evacuation — commercial options (flights, buses, car hire) disappear fast. Leave early if you can
• Identify your nearest safe border crossing — know the route and travel time before you need it
• Monitor NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) feeds for airspace status — your airline may not update you in real time
• Contact your airline directly — not through an aggregator or travel agent
• Consider overland exits — in March 2026, some travellers exited UAE overland to Oman, and Israel via Jordan
• Travel in daylight where possible — checkpoints are more dangerous at night
• Carry your passport at all times — you may need to cross borders at short notice

Healthcare systems come under severe strain during conflict. Public hospitals prioritise casualties. Private hospitals may close or restrict admissions. Pharmacies run short of supplies. Ambulance response times increase dramatically.

What you can do:

• Carry at least 2 weeks of prescription medication — supply chains will be disrupted
• Pack a personal first aid kit — antiseptic, bandages, painkillers, antihistamines, rehydration salts
• Know your blood type — write it on a card in your wallet and on your phone lock screen
• Contact your embassy for operating medical facilities — they maintain updated lists
• If you have a chronic condition — carry a letter from your doctor explaining your medication and dosage
• Avoid hospital emergency rooms unless it's life-threatening — they will be overwhelmed with casualties

During the Middle East escalation, mobile networks became congested and some areas experienced deliberate communications blackouts. Staying connected is critical — but you need a backup plan.

• Download offline messaging apps — Bridgefy and Briar work without internet via Bluetooth mesh
• Use WhatsApp or Signal — they use minimal data and support voice calls over WiFi
• Agree a check-in schedule with family — e.g., "I will message every 6 hours. If I miss two check-ins, contact the embassy"
• Keep messages short — conserve battery and bandwidth
• Carry a portable battery pack — at least 20,000mAh
• Know the local WiFi hotspots — hotels, embassies, and relief centres may have connectivity when mobile networks fail

This is the hard truth: most standard travel insurance policies exclude war, terrorism, and civil unrest. If you are travelling to or near a conflict zone, standard travel insurance will likely not cover you.

What to check:

• Read your policy exclusions — look for "war", "hostilities", "civil unrest", "act of foreign enemy"
• Check if evacuation is covered — some policies cover emergency evacuation even if medical treatment is excluded
• Specialist providers exist — Battleface, Global Rescue, and International SOS offer conflict-zone coverage
• Corporate travel policies may have broader coverage — check with your employer's HR or risk team
• FCDO/State Department advisories matter — if your government advises against travel and you go anyway, your insurance is almost certainly void

The March 2026 crisis caught many organisations off guard. Global mobility teams, HR departments, and employers with staff in the Middle East faced simultaneous challenges: duty of care, evacuation logistics, visa complications, and psychological support.

• Maintain a real-time traveller tracker — know where your people are at all times
• Establish a crisis communication chain — who calls whom, in what order, via which channel
• Pre-authorise emergency spending — employees stranded in a conflict zone should not need to wait for expense approval
• Brief departing employees — embassy registration, insurance coverage, emergency contacts
• Provide psychological support on return — Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), counselling, and time off
• Review your corporate travel insurance — does it cover war risk? evacuation? loss of earnings?
• Work with your visa/relocation partner — employees may need emergency travel documents, visa extensions, or new sponsorship

Save these before you travel: