Durban woman stranded at Doha airport shares her stark reality
The 27-year-old said the group of eight South Africans rely on food vouchers to purchase food from the airport restaurant as their passports and boarding passes were taken from them on the day they landed.
DURBAN North resident, Chelsea Williams, has been stranded in Doha’s airport, along with seven other South Africans, for six days.
She held a chief stewardess position on a super yacht in Auckland in New Zealand and, along with many others in the industry, was let go from her job and was told she needed to come back to South Africa as soon as possible.
“On Monday, 23 March we were informed about losing our jobs and the first flight I could get was on Thursday, 26 March,” said the 27-year-old.
“I checked into the airport and, already with an uneasy feeling of flying, I was only issued my first boarding pass. There was already confusion with my second boarding pass, but was told that once I land in Hamad (Doha) International Airport I would receive my second boarding pass for my connecting flight to Johannesburg.”
During her 17-hour flight from Auckland to Doha, she said the regulations changed in South Africa and that once she landed was given the heartbreaking news that her flight was cancelled and South Africa’s borders were shut. She landed in Doha on Thursday, 26 March at 11pm.
Chelsea said she knew about the lockdown before she flew to Doha.
“Like all other countries, they were still allowing flights in with residents.”
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“I was now stuck in Doha Airport. I met another seven South Africans (Clifford Hanks, Benjamin Sturgeon, Mia Bjorkman, Athanasios Varonou, Jan Adrian Beetge, Tyrone Juul and Clyde Thomas) who were also stuck. We have been together ever since,” she said.
The group slept on the airport floor for four days and were placed in the airport’s hotel for the past two evenings.
“Every day has been a constant battle for food vouchers. Our passports and boarding passes were taken away from us since day one and, to buy anything in the airport, the staff need to see your passport or boarding pass to make the purchase.
“Every day we repeat our story to multiple people. Every day it’s a fight and tears to try and get our basic needs. The airport restaurant is where we are given meal vouchers to eat. Every one of us comes from different financial backgrounds and some cannot afford to pay for things and need the vouchers for food. Some days we are given vouchers for the food court but its inconsistent. One day we receive 30 Qatari Rials, tomorrow its 80. The next day? No one knows who we are or what we are talking about. It is physically and mentally draining,” said Chelsea.
One of her other major concerns is staying in an airport.
“It is probably the most dangerous place to be during Covid-19. We are petrified each and every day of potentially contracting the virus,” she said.
To keep themselves occupied, they go for walks around the airport, but have not been outside for six day. They speak to the South African staff members, who she said have become the group’s friends.
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“The South African staff here in Qatar have been amazing, trying to help us with anything we need such as water, blankets and eye masks. We’ve been hanging out with one another, trying to keep each other in high spirits,” said Chelsea.
The stranded South Africans have been in constant communication with their families back home.
“My family have done nothing but support me through this time and I would not have been able to make it this far without them. I can’t thank everyone who has reached out enough, as each one of them are helping me through this,” said Chelsea.
“We patiently wait on the South African government, Department of International relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and Qatar Airlines to find a way of getting us back to South Africa,” she hoped.
The President, the South African Embassy in Doha, the Department of International relations and Cooperation as well as the Hamad International Airport were contacted for comment but none was received before publication. The article will be updated should comment be received.
Please see our update on this story: GOOD NEWS: 8 South Africans stranded at Doha airport are coming home
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