TAMPA, FLA. (WSVN) – Some Americans who are fighting to get home from the Middle East are receiving help from a Florida nonprofit.<\/p>\n
With embassies under strikes and airspaces closed amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the U.S. and Israel it has been nearly impossible for American citizens to find a way home.<\/p>\n
Five days into the war, more than 1,500 Americans are stuck in the Middle East. Officials with the Trump administration said they\u2019re working to secure military flights to get them home.<\/p>\n
Grey Bull Rescue, a nonprofit organization based in Tampa is also on a rescue mission in the middle of the war. It helped hundreds of Americans stuck in Israel. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re gonna go across the border, make our way to Jerusalem, post up there and start setting conditions to start doing buses and moving people out,\u201d said a man representing Grey Bull Rescue in a video.<\/p>\n
Sixty-six Americans were on board a bus as they were evacuated with help from Grey Bull.<\/p>\n
Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlining the challenges the Trump administration is facing evacuating American civilians.<\/p>\n
\u201cNine thousand Americans have been able to leave the region since the start of this war. We have about 1,500 Americans that are requesting assistance with departure,\u201d said Rubio.<\/p>\n
The State Department is urging Americans in 13 Gulf states \u2014 plus Israel, Gaza and the West Bank \u2014 to get out.<\/p>\n
Kristy Ellmer and her partner Matt have been trying to get back home to New Hampshire since Saturday\/<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a very long night, a lot of explosions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
However, they have been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually just heard from the embassy to reach out and make sure that we\u2019re registered to make sure, I think, if they\u2019re gonna do an evacuation plan, that we are on the list,\u201d said Ellmer in a TV news interview.<\/p>\n
The joint operation between the U.S. and Israel sparked targeted retaliatory strikes from Iran. So many of its Gulf neighbors were impacted that it prompted the world\u2019s largest airport in Dubai to shut down.<\/p>\n
Travel blogger Alyssa Ramos said the U.S. government was no help after she got the \u201cdepart now\u201d alert on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen the government\u2019s post today telling all Americans to evacuate on their own,\u201d she said. \u201cI can hear the missiles overhead already.<\/p>\n
Ramos, a West Palm native, decided to try to leave Kuwait City and get to Saudi Arabia and catch a flight back to California, where she now lives.<\/p>\n
She said the journey took seven and a half hours and cost $1,200. She chronicled her journey on her Instagram account for her 206,000 followers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve successfully made it out of Kuwait,\u201d she said in a post.<\/p>\n
In another post, Ramos said, \u201cOK, so I\u2019m not super confident about this flight taking off. The airport\u2019s pretty empty. There was an alarm earlier; all the flights to the Gulf countries are canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rubio told reporters finding safe flights out for Americans is the top priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have identified and continue to identify charter flights, military flight options and expand to commercial flight options, meaning working with the airlines to send bigger airplanes with more seats,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n