The vessel remained offshore while nearly 150 passengers and crew were evacuated in stages for medical screening and repatriation. Flights are expected to continue through Monday, May 11.

Spain allowed the ship to anchor off Granadilla under strict health measures after days of discussions with regional authorities, who had initially raised concerns over possible public health risks. The World Health Organisation has said the overall public risk remains low.

The outbreak is believed to have started after exposure during the ship’s South America itinerary, before it departed Ushuaia on April 1. Contact tracing has since expanded across several continents after some passengers left the vessel in Saint Helena before the outbreak was confirmed.

South African authorities also began tracing contacts after a Dutch woman became seriously ill while travelling and later died after being taken off a flight in Johannesburg. Officials in Saint Helena said local contacts had been identified and given health guidance.

The WHO has reported eight cases linked to the outbreak, including six confirmed and two probable cases. Three deaths have been recorded.

At the heart of the crisis is the Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of Al‑Qaeda operating in the Sahel region. Since early September, the group has imposed a blockade on fuel imports into Mali, particularly targeting convoys coming from neighbouring countries.

The landlocked nature of Mali makes it especially vulnerable: fuel is fundamental not just for transport but for power, commerce and daily life. The blockade has triggered long queues at petrol stations, widespread power outages and a sharp slowdown in economic activity.

As a result of the fuel blockade, the Malian government announced the nationwide suspension of schools and universities for several weeks, citing that staff and students cannot reliably commute or that transport is disrupted.

Meanwhile, analysts warn that the blockade is part of a broader JNIM strategy to undermine the state’s authority, starve the capital city of resources, and force the government into a weakened position.

For foreign nationals, these developments translate into rapidly escalating risks. Beyond the direct threat of terrorist attacks or kidnappings, the breakdown of infrastructure means that escape routes may become compromised, flights and ground transport may be disrupted, and basic services may cease unexpectedly.

Indeed, the United States Embassy in Bamako has urged Americans to leave via commercial flights because overland travel is considered hazardous. Given these conditions, the governments of France, the US and the UK judge that their citizens’ safety cannot be guaranteed and therefore are advising departure “as soon as possible”.

What was once a challenging security environment has turned into one where the advisories now recommend immediate exit rather than just caution.