Summary
- Kenyans living in Qatar have appealed for prayers and calm after debris from intercepted Iranian missiles fell across parts of the country.
- Although Qatar’s air defence intercepted most projectiles, falling fragments caused explosions, fires, and widespread fear.
- The incident comes amid a rapidly escalating regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Fear in the Sky
NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyans living in Qatar are calling for prayers after fragments from intercepted Iranian missiles reportedly fell over several areas, sparking explosions and small fires as tensions in the Middle East spiral.
Videos circulating online show visibly shaken Kenyans sheltering indoors, urging friends and family back home to pray for their safety.
“Guys, wioye, haki mtukumbuke na maombi, si kuzuri Qatar,” one Kenyan says in a video.
“Please pray for us. We are taking shelter inside the house.”
Qatar’s air defence systems successfully intercepted most of the ballistic missiles, but falling debris and unburnt sections of projectiles still reached the ground, igniting fires and heightening panic.
A Region on Edge
The missile activity follows a dramatic escalation after joint US and Israeli strikes against Iran.
Iranian authorities say the strikes affected 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to Iranian Red Crescent spokesperson Mojtaba Khaledi.
BBC Verify satellite imagery has shown extensive damage to the Leadership House compound in Tehran, where Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Across Iran, officials report 201 deaths, including at least 108 people killed in an explosion at a girls’ school in the south of the country.
Israel and the Gulf Drawn In
Israel has also come under sustained missile and drone attacks.
An apartment building in Tel Aviv was destroyed, leaving at least one woman dead and 120 others injured, according to emergency services.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as other US bases across the Gulf.
Strikes have also been reported in Dubai, Doha, and Kuwait.
In Dubai, four people were injured during an incident at Dubai International Airport, while additional strikes have been reported near Bahrain International Airport.
Flights Grounded, Borders Tightened
Air travel across the Middle East remains heavily disrupted.
Major airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, have cancelled or diverted flights. Services in and out of Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airport remain suspended.
Airspace is fully closed over Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, and the UAE, with partial closures affecting parts of Saudi Arabia.
The UK Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, urging those already there to shelter indoors.
A Simple Plea from Kenyans Abroad
For Kenyans living and working in the Gulf, uncertainty dominates daily life as the conflict intensifies.
Their message, echoed across videos and social media, is simple — and urgent:
Pray for peace.
