The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced preparations for the evacuation of Nigerians in Lebanon ready to return home following the emergency in the country. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed that a multi-stakeholder meeting on the condition of Nigerians in Lebanon and preparations by various agencies towards the success of the evacuation exercise held on Friday. Noting that, the agency is coordinating the evacuation which has started with mobilization of the citizens, and would be followed immediately with all requirements to bring them home.
“The leader of the Nigerian community, through a telephone conversation acknowledged the support by the Nigerian Mission in Lebanon especially in their safe movement out of high-risk areas, adding that no Nigerian life has been lost so far.”
“In view of the planned voluntary evacuation, those Nigerians willing to be evacuated back home are advised to report to the Embassy in Beirut where they will be profiled for the airlift”.
In September 2024, large-scale cross-border attacks escalated in Lebanon, causing over 1,000 deaths and 6,352 injuries in less than two weeks, according to the International Organisation for Migration; bringing the total to more than 1,800 killed and 9,100 injured since October 2023.
As of September 30, 2024, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix had identified 346,209 Internally Displaced Persons, including over 31,000 families (137,000 individuals) living in 820 collective shelters. Additionally, more than 175,000 Lebanese and Syrians have fled to Syria.
