Children in fear as missiles fly overhead, says M’sian in Abu Dhabi

2026-03-01 - 23:43

Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf has killed at least three and wounded 58 in the UAE since it began. (EPA Images pic) PETALING JAYA: The sound of missiles flying overhead sends the children of Nur Hamiza Ahmad, a Malaysian living in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, running to hug her every time as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran rages. The 38-year-old, who has been in the country for the past two years following her husband’s posting there, said the continuous passage of missiles for about 12 hours had been “extremely nerve-wracking”. “The children were terrified. They couldn’t sleep because of the tremors, occasionally crying while covering their ears. “They didn’t want to sleep in their own rooms. We slept hugging each other through the series of missile explosions,” Bernama reported her as saying last night. Nur Hamiza said her two children, aged nine and seven, tried to understand what was happening by reading and watching news related to the conflict together. She said schools in the country would conduct online classes for three days starting today as a precautionary measure. Nur Hamiza said she and other Malaysians had prepared for the possibility of evacuation, including keeping important personal documents near the main door of their homes. She said the roads near her house in Khalifa City, less than 10km from Zayed International Airport, were deserted. “Everyone is following the authorities’ instructions to avoid open areas for fear of being hit by missile debris,” she said. Nur Hamiza said however that they were still able to purchase daily necessities at nearby supermarkets or online, and there was no sign of panic buying. “We are still able to withdraw money from ATMs,” she added. Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf has killed at least three and wounded 58 in the UAE since it began.