Government evacuates nationals from Lebanon

The ministry said yesterday in a release that the High Commissioner in London, Glenda Morean-Phillip, has been in contact with TT’s Honorary Consul in Lebanon, Jean Haidar, to co-ordinate efforts to locate and evacuate TT nationals who wished to return home. This, as tensions heighten between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas.

The ministry said it was aware of three nationals who wished to be evacuated and it is making further attempts to find other nationals who wished to leave Lebanon.

Contacted about the evacuation procedure in Lebanon, Ashton Forde, Attache for Public Affairs, Culture and Tourism at the London Commission, told Newsday, “I do not know anything about the release and have absolutely no information whatsoever.”

Cheryl Moses, Communica-tions Specialist at the ministry told Newsday the ministry had been making regular checks with the Consul in Lebanon and the High Commisioner to find out the total number of nationals in Lebanon. Moses confirmed that the ministry was aware of three nationals who wished to be evacuated but declined to give further details.

According to the Associated Press, hundreds of Europeans — including dual nationals — have been moved through Cyprus since Israel began its attacks on Lebanon in response to attacks from Hezbollah militants.

Reports from CNN, in Beirut, Lebanon yesterday stated that the evacuation of Westerners from Lebanon had picked up speed as governments moved to get their citizens to safety by land, sea and air.

One report said Britain had dispatched two aircraft carriers, from among six naval ships, which were prepared to start rescuing UK citizens from the violence whilst other European countries sent boats and planes to reach their nationals stranded by the bombing of Beirut airport, roads and bridges.

Chile, according to CNN, also made plans to help their citizens flee Lebanon where fighting between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah had turned parts of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, into war zones. At least 183 people have keen killed since the start of hostilities on July 12.

The report stated that United States citizens in Beirut boarded cruise ships, a French ferry and American military helicopters last week in a multi-national effort to evacuate.

Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, according to a CNN report said, Ottawa was doing “everything possible” to evacuate an estimated 40,000 Canadians in Lebanon. Eight Canadians were reported killed and six more critically wounded on Sunday in Lebanon, he said.

According to a Reuters report, a Spanish airforce Boeing 707 flew 113 people out of the Syrian capital and over 152 were transported from Amman.

Russia, Italy and Germany were also reported to be among other countries currently assisting in evacuation efforts in Lebanon.