Janne Edman Martinsen, her husband Cosimo Gualano, and their 9-year-old daughter Eva were on winter vacation in Dubai when the conflict in the Middle East escalated. After attempting to contact the Norwegian Foreign Ministry for assistance in returning home, Martinsen received disappointing news: there were no plans for evacuation, and she could not expect any individual support or calls from officials. Martinsen voiced her frustration over the situation, labeling the Foreign Ministry's approach as irresponsible, as they seemed to leave the burden of evacuation on commercial airlines instead of providing coordinated efforts.

In contrast, Italian authorities, recognizing the urgency of the family’s situation, arranged for their evacuation quickly. The process took a mere fifteen minutes once the Italian government intervened. Martinsen praised Italy's crisis management systems and expressed a desire for Norway to learn lessons from their approach to such emergencies. Several other Norwegians in the Middle East echoed similar sentiments of dissatisfaction towards the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, indicating widespread concern over how the situation was handled.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasized that he believes commercial flights are the most effective means for evacuations, while the Foreign Ministry continues to assert that the security situation remains precarious. This incident has raised questions about the preparedness and responsiveness of the Norwegian government in crisis situations and its role in supporting citizens abroad during emergencies.