Cyprus Intensifies Preparation for Mass Evacuation From Lebanon
People crossing from Lebanon into Syria, September 25, 2024. X/ @GlobeNewsStream
September 26, 2024 Hour: 7:56 am
The British government urged its nationals to leave Lebanon to avoid further civilian casualties.
On Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said that Cyprus has intensified its preparations for potentially handling a mass evacuation of foreign nationals from Lebanon.
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“Preparations are at the highest level, both in relation to the cooperation with countries of special interest and internally between competent services,” he stated.
Cyprus has activated its “Estia” evacuation plan for the reception and repatriation of foreign citizens from regions of crisis, setting up facilities for temporarily hosting people and facilitating their departure by air. Gotsis said that no concrete requests for help had been made so far.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom (UK) was moving troops to Cyprus to help its nationals leave Lebanon. It is estimated that about 10,000 British nationals and many more thousands of other foreign nationals are currently in Lebanon.
“The military teams have joined the already significant UK diplomatic and military footprint in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Royal Navy ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean to support British nationals and allies over the summer,” UK authorities announced, as reported by the Cyprus Mail.
“The essential humanitarian support comes after further civilian casualties following air strikes in recent hours. Thousands more have been displaced or forced to flee their homes,” it added, mentioning that “medical supplies, hygiene kits and fuel for water stations, to help thousands of displaced civilians across Lebanon have also been sent.”
From London, Anneliese Dodds, the Minister of State for Development, also admitted that the situation in Lebanon is of deep concern to the British government, which has urged its nationals to leave Lebanon to avoid further civilian casualties.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua – Cyprus Mail
