Lancaster nurse and her police officer sister stranded in Dubai airport make desperate plea to get them home to help with coronavirus pandemic

Rosie Addison, 25, and her sister Jenny Rose, a 28-year-old police officer, have been stuck in the airport since Tuesday night.

They had been trying to get home from a holiday in the Philippines, but after arriving in Dubai their flights were cancelled and staff were unable to say what was happening.

When the pair arrived they were shut in a room in the airport with no information, their passports taken from them, and with very little food and water provided.

And they say they just want to get back home to Kendal so they can help their emergency service colleagues coping with the Covid-19 crisis.

Rosie told the Lancaster Guardian how the situation has unfolded over the last few days.

"We arrived in the Philippines for a holiday on March 8; there was nothing advised by the government that it was unsafe to travel, but on March 14 it was officially recommended that anyone oversea should travel back home, so that's what we have been trying to do," she said.

On March 24 we managed to get on the last flight out of the Philippines to Dubai, where we had a connecting flight to London, but when we got to Dubai we found out all flights were cancelled, which was sooner than we thought they were going to be. We had been under the impression Dubai was shutting down on March 26.

"When we arrived at the airport we were taken to the arrivals terminal to wait. They took our passports off us.

"After 48 hours we still had no update on our luggage but they were not giving it back. Some people here have got medication in their suitcases that they are not allowed access to.

"I think we got our first bit of food given to us about 11 hours after we arrived and that was a muffin and a can of pop and then some noodles.

"I think they [the airport] are putting pressure on Emirates to give us some food because they flew us here.

"No one seems to know anything. Different people give us different information. There's no kind of official announcements as to what's happening. When there's food we hear about it on the grapevine and just run to the desk where it's at.

"I feel like I am in a film. You just think 'what is happening?'

"We are just really frustrated that we are stuck here when we are both key workers who could be helping our colleagues back in the UK.

"They are under so much pressure and need as many hands as they can get to help with this global pandemic and we feel so helpless because we are just stuck here."

Rosie said those stranded have all been tested for coronavirus but still waiting to get the results back.

"We were contacted by the British Embassy who did a welfare check and told us that they are aware of our situation," she said.

"I don't doubt that everybody is working around the clock to get British people back to the UK.

"I know there are people in worse situations than us or just as bad; it's just a waiting game really as to what's going to happen."

Rosie's sister Jenny posted an emotional plea to the government on Facebook this week, saying: "What are the British government going to do to help get stranded Brits home!?

"We have no food and no drink in this airport as nowhere is open. Immigration in Dubai have taken our passports. The UK government has to listen at some point."

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has urged the Foreign Office to intervene to get the women home.

He said: “We’re doing everything we can to get Rosie and Jenny back home. We’ve been on the phone to the Foreign Office and to Emirates to try and get them a flight back as soon as possible.

“I’m also desperately concerned that Rosie and Jenny haven’t been well taken care of, they haven’t been fed terribly well or terribly often and the information they are getting from the British Consulate is scant if not non-existent.

“My message to the Foreign Office is imagine if these were your daughters going through this horrific experience.

“Let’s make sure we get Rosie and Jenny back home so they can be with their family and out there doing the jobs they love, keeping us safe.

“I say to the British Foreign Office: pull your finger out and bring them home.”