<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government is helping Australian tourists stranded on a remote desert island in Yemen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They are among scores of foreign travellers who visited the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean before being caught up in rising tensions between regional powers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is providing consular assistance to a small number of Australians currently in Yemen," a DFAT spokesperson said today.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/uk-france-troops-ukraine-keir-starmer/71637d79-7cd8-4242-9d81-83c5fb2457e3" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>UK, France considers sending troops to Ukraine</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Travel plans for about 400 international tourists became disrupted when Yemeni authorities imposed a state of emergency on Socotra leading to the closure of ports of entry, including the island's airport, reports say.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the rare Dragon Blood tree. It has become a magnet for adventure tourists and social media influencers attracted by its stunning cliffs, rare fauna and pristine white sand beaches.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australians-among-tourists-stranded-on-yemeni-island/b000e129-3412-494d-84c7-0e8d6515aab0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a civil war that involves a complex interplay of sectarian grievances and the involvement of regional powers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Iran-aligned Houthis control the most populous regions of the country, including the capital Sanaa. Meanwhile, a loose regional coalition of powers - including Saudi Arabia and the UAE - has backed the internationally recognised government in the south.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Its distance from the mainland has shielded Socotra from the worst of Yemen's long-running conflict. But regional tensions that last week culminated in Saudi strikes on a UAE-linked shipment in Yemen have now had an impact.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Flights are expected to restart this week, but it is still unclear when.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>DFAT advises Australians against travelling to Socotra due to ongoing armed conflict and a very high threat of kidnapping and terrorism. There are also military operations against Houthi targets in the Red Sea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia, like many other Western nations, does not have an embassy or consulate in Yemen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Officials at the Australian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are unable to provide emergency help to citizens in Yemen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> </span><em><span>- With AP, CNN</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> </span></div></div>