Over 1,000 Ukrainian tourists stranded in Zanzibar

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kenya, Andrii Pravednyk, is scheduled to meet Zanzibar officials and Ukrainian tourists stranded in the island following Russia’s invasion of their country.

Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi

Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands’ government on Monday evening said that it was working closely with the Ukrainian embassy in Nairobi to help the stranded tourists.

They are in talks to help them fly to Poland, which is accommodating refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian airspace has been closed to all civilian flights following Russia’s military action.

Zanzibar said is currently accommodating almost 1,000 Ukrainian tourists.

Zanzibar’s Tourism Minister Leila Mohammed Musa said the stranded Ukrainians are being accommodated in various hotels, with some staying free of charge and receiving humanitarian support.

Most of them were scheduled to fly back to their country but due to the war, they are now forced to remain in Zanzibar and some of them are running out of money to pay their bills, the minister added. 

Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi told journalists on Monday that he was aware of the stranded Ukrainian tourists who had requested for help from the government.

“We are in discussions with the owners of the hotels to see how we can help them,” Dr Mwinyi said.

Zanzibar has recently been receiving large groups of tourists from Ukraine, an upcoming tourist market for the island.