ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014\u00a0The conflict in the Middle East has left people stranded in the region as airspaces remain closed down across much of the area. And that includes some travelers from Central Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
A Central Florida family is stranded in Qatar due to regional unrest
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Airspaces are closed, and no evacuation plan is in place for U.S. citizens
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The Qatar government is covering their hotel stay and food expenses
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The family registered with the U.S. State Department\u2019s STEP program before traveling<\/p>\n
Sarita Maharaj and her family were on their way to Thailand for a vacation, but their one night stopover in Qatar was right when conflict broke out in the region. They are now stuck in Qatar\u2019s capital of Doha, which is just about 150 miles across the Persian Gulf from the southern coast of Iran.<\/p>\n
Sarita Maharaj shared cell phone video of missiles flying above her hotel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could see, feel, hear it\u00a0\u2014 it was extremely scary,\u201d said Maharaj.<\/p>\n
She and her husband, her parents, and in-laws\u00a0\u2014 all who live in Central Florida\u00a0\u2014 are sheltering place in Qatar.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could see the missile interceptions happening from our hotel,\u201d said Maharaj. \u201cWe could actually feel it from our hotel room, the windows vibrating. We would wake up throughout the night with the loud explosions.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says luckily, Qatar now seems to be intercepting incoming missiles further out away from where they are, but they can still hear and see those missiles in the distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get very minimal sleep because you do wake up sometimes and hear the explosions and any noise you hear, you think it\u2019s something close by and you don\u2019t know what happens next,\u201d said Maharaj.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, it\u2019s hurry up and wait.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spend most days doing a lot of logistics work, like calling the airlines,\u201d said Maharaj. \u201cWe\u2019ve spent as long as three hours on hold to get new flights to book or information on our flights.\u201d<\/p>\n
But so far, no word on when airspaces will open back up, or when they\u2019ll get a flight out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really scary, it\u2019s nerve-wracking; we\u2019ve never experienced anything like this,\u201d said Maharaj.<\/p>\n
She says the Qatar government is paying for their extended hotel stay, and food. They are also working to stay in touch with the U.S. embassy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t received any further information,\u201d said Maharaj. \u201cAt this time there is no evacuation plan for U.S. citizens out of Doha, or Qatar.\u201d<\/p>\n