US, China, France, others weigh Lebanon evacuation plans for nationals
The situation in Lebanon and the region has quickly deteriorated, prompting several countries to come up with plans to secure the safe evacuation of their nationals from the country.
BEIRUT — Several countries are working on contingency plans to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon, calling on them to immediately leave the country following a sharp escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in the past week.
Germany has already flown out its nonessential embassy staff from Beirut, while several other countries are sending ships or planes to be on standby for any possible evacuation.
There has been no large-scale military evacuation from the small Mediterranean country so far, as some commercial flights are still available and Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is operating normally. But several countries have already helped their nationals leave Lebanon in the past week.
The situation in the Middle East has been rapidly deteriorating after Israel intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon last week and announced a limited ground invasion in the south on Monday. On Tuesday, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, claiming to target main military and spy agencies and further fueling tensions in the region.
China
China evacuated more than 200 of its nationals from Lebanon this week. According to state media, a group of 69 Chinese nationals and their non-Chinese family members arrived at the Limassol Port in Cyprus aboard a Chinese vessel on Tuesday. A second group of 146 Chinese nationals and five foreigners returned to Beijing on Wednesday on a chartered flight.
United Kingdom
A British-chartered flight is scheduled to leave Lebanon’s international airport on Wednesday to take British nationals out of the country. Around 200 Britons are expected to be onboard the flight, which prioritized British citizens and their spouses, partners and children under 18, as well as the most vulnerable individuals.
“The situation could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region,” says the British government website. It advised against travel in Lebanon and urged its citizens to “leave now.” According to the government, family members of embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Beirut. Last week, the UK said it sent 700 troops to Cyprus for possible evacuation of around 5,000 Britons in Lebanon.
Germany
Germany on Monday evacuated its employees working at the German Embassy in Beirut, in addition to their family members and others suffering medical conditions. The German Foreign Ministry said a total of 110 people flew out of Beirut onboard a German air force plane.
“The embassy continues to support the remaining Germans in Lebanon in their efforts to leave the country via commercial flights and other means,” the ministry added in a statement. Lebanon hosts around 1,800 German citizens.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria evacuated 169 Bulgarians from Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday onboard a flight of the state air operator, according to the Foreign Ministry. Around 400 Bulgarians reside in Lebanon.
Portugal
The Portuguese government helped secure the return of 44 Portuguese nationals and their families from Lebanon on Saturday aboard a military plane. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro last week advised against travel to Lebanon.
Spain
Two Spanish planes are expected to land in Beirut on Thursday to assist Spanish nationals in leaving the country. Spanish newswire Europa Press cited Defense Minister Margarita Robles on Wednesday as confirming that the Spanish air force plans to send two planes to Lebanon to evacuate some 350 Spanish nationals.
South Korea
South Korea is dispatching two military aircraft to the Middle East to evacuate its nationals, the presidency announced Wednesday following Iran’s rocket barrage fired at Israel a day earlier.
“The president ordered the immediate dispatch of military transport aircraft to evacuate Korean nationals, saying the protection of our citizens in Israel and in the Middle East is a top priority," presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon told a press briefing. According to the Foreign Ministry, approximately 130 Korean nationals were in Lebanon, 110 in Iran and 480 in Israel.
France
France announced on Tuesday that it has deployed a helicopter carrier to Lebanon ahead of a potential evacuation of its citizens. The military said the Dixmude carrier left the naval port of Toulon and will arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean in five to six days. Around 23,000 French nationals are estimated to be living in Lebanon.
Japan
Japan’s Defense Ministry last week said two military planes had been ordered to go to Jordan and Greece to be ready for the evacuation of its citizens from the region. Around 50 Japanese citizens are currently in Lebanon. Earlier, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged Japanese citizens to leave Lebanon while regular commercial flights remain available.
Turkey
Turkey has prepared plans for the evacuation of its citizens from Lebanon amid the extensive Israeli airstrikes in the country and the risk of further escalation. “In coordination with relevant institutions, alternative plans have been prepared for the evacuation of our citizens by sea or air from Lebanon,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry added that preparations were also underway for the evacuation of third-country nationals “in cooperation with nearly 20 countries that have requested support.”
Cyprus
Cyprus has initiated a mechanism to facilitate the evacuation of third-country nationals from the Middle East, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Wednesday. Cypriot authorities have already provided facilities to nine countries to assist in the evacuation of small groups of people, Kombos added, without identifying the countries.
Cyprus is the closest European Union member state to the Middle East. It is located west of Lebanon, about 40 minutes by air and 10 hours away by boat, and it lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from both Israel and Lebanon. During the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, around 60,000 people from Lebanon were evacuated via Cyprus.
Meanwhile, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on X on Tuesday that the Greek air force will provide a C-130 transport aircraft to help airlift Cypriot nationals from Lebanon upon a request from Cyprus.
Canada
Canada on Monday said it secured 800 seats on commercial flights for its citizens in Lebanon to leave over the next three days. “If you are a Canadian citizen in Lebanon, you must leave now. If you are offered a seat, take it now,” Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly wrote on X, warning of the “dangerous and volatile” security situation in the country, where nearly 45,000 Canadians live.
United States
The United States said on Tuesday it was working with airlines to provide additional flights for US citizens in Lebanon wishing to leave, as an evacuation plan is not in order yet. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that around 6,000 US citizens have so far registered to receive information about ways to depart Lebanon. Around 86,000 US citizens or dual nationals are estimated to be in Lebanon.
The current US travel advisory to Lebanon is “Do Not Travel,” and citizens in the country are advised to leave while commercial flights are still available. On Saturday, the US State Department ordered some employees at its embassy in Beirut and their eligible family members to leave Lebanon, citing "the volatile and unpredictable security situation" in the country.
Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday reiterated his calls on Australians to urgently leave Lebanon given the “volatile circumstances.” The Australian government has yet to announce a contingency plan for the evacuation of its estimated 15,000 nationals living in Lebanon. The travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade described the security situation in the region as “volatile,” advising Australians in Lebanon to “leave immediately while commercial flights remain available.”
Indonesia
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Indonesian citizens to immediately leave Lebanon due to the deteriorating situation. In a statement on Wednesday, Widodo said he instructed his Foreign Ministry to take the necessary steps to ensure the safe return of Indonesians, stressing that their safety is a top priority. Around 150 Indonesian citizens are currently in Lebanon, not counting embassy staff and members of the UN peacekeeping forces, according to the Foreign Ministry.
