Thousands stranded abroad as COVID-19 shuts borders [Travel]

Sleeping on airport floors, holed up in one of the last hotels open in a foreign city or put in mandatory quarantine for 14 days with little cash and little hope for returning home.

This is the plight of the hundreds of thousands of stranded travelers of all nationalities around the world. Some 40 countries across the globe have decided to shut their borders with little or no notice in the last three days alone.

Countries such as Morocco immediately took precautions, including the quarantine of those coming from Europe, a curfew, as well as the closure of borders, and suspending flights.

My sister is one of these U.S. travelers stranded in Morocco. They are trying to get home and NOT getting enough help from the US, after Morocco abruptly closed its borders. USEmbMorocco #coronavirus #COVID19
https://t.co/ybIJWEgzOd via Yahoo

— Laura Leighton (@LauraLeighton) March 19, 2020

Other countries such as Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, where many French tourists and business people live also imposed restrictive measures against high risk European countries.

According to the French authorities at least 50,000 French nationals are stranded in African countries.

However the number of stranded African travelers remains unknown and solutions remain limited.

Nyasha K Mutizwa speaks to Africanews journalist, Daniel Mumbere who works in the Republic of Congo but is currently stuck in Uganda due to travel bans imposed in both countries.

She also speaks to travel expert Kojo Bentum-Williams on possible solutions for stranded travelers.

@NyashaKMutizwa