Middle East tensions disrupt flights, 22 pilgrims from UP village stranded in Saudi

On Friday afternoon, the residents of Bani village in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district gathered for an emergency meeting.

The agenda of the meeting was to discuss how to secure the return of 22 pilgrims from the village, including three elderly couples, from the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia after Indian airlines abruptly suspended flights amid escalating security concerns and disruptions to airspace across the Middle East.

The pilgrims were scheduled to return home on Thursday, October 22, but the suspension of flights has left them stranded there. For now, the villagers decided to wait a few more days before approaching the authorities, holding on to the hope that flights would resume and their loved ones would be home soon.

The pilgrims’ families said the ordeal has cast a shadow over what was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey. For many, it was their first visit to the two holy cities, a pilgrimage they had likely spent years hoping and preparing for.

Moharram Ali, 45, a farmer, said, “My father, Sohrab Ali, 70, and mother, Badrun Nisha, 65, call us regularly, asking what can be done to ensure their safe and early return. We have no answers, so we keep reassuring them that flights will resume soon. The truth is, we do not know when that will happen either.”

Moharram is the eldest of the couple’s six children.

The family, he said, drew some comfort from the fact that his parents are not alone and that they were offering one another company in an unfamiliar and uncertain situation.

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The group of 22 pilgrims from Bani, located nearly 20 km from the district headquarters, left for New Delhi on October 5 and flew to Mecca the following day, it is learnt.

For Mobin Khan, 35, the uncertainty has brought anxiety and an unexpected financial strain on the family. His parents, Nizamuddin, 62, and Abartum, 57, remain stranded in Mecca. Mobin, who runs a business, said the travel agent charged Rs 70,000 per person to cover accommodation and meals. But after their scheduled return on October 21 was disrupted, the agent refused to bear the cost of their stay and food beyond that date, he claimed. The family has since been sending money to his parents to arrange for their own accommodation and meals.

“Over the past five days, the travel agent has given my parents two different dates for their return. Each time, he has said a flight could not be arranged. This morning, he told them they would fly home today, but by the evening, he informed them that the flight had been cancelled again,” Mobin said.

Afsar Ali, 35, also a farmer, said his parents Ashraf Ali, 61, and Chand Tara, 56, spent two months preparing for the pilgrimage, setting off with excitement for what they had hoped would be a memorable spiritual journey. But with their return now uncertain, that anticipation has given way to anxiety and helplessness, he said.

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“They were so happy when they left for the pilgrimage on October 5. They carried all their essential medicines with them, but as the days pass, we are becoming increasingly worried about their health. My parents are on medication and need regular check-ups with their doctors. They cannot stay there for long,” Afsar said.

“Many of the pilgrims, including my parents, did not carry mobile phones and had to rely on fellow travellers who brought theirs to stay in touch with back home. I keep reassuring my parents that the situation will get normal soon and they will be able to return. We are also sending them money so that they do not face any financial difficulties while stranded there,” said Afsar.