Official Statements

IOM Steps Up Evacuation of Stranded Migrants from Lebanon

With thousands of stranded migrants from developing countries still
stranded in Lebanon, IOM is stepping up its efforts to evacuate as
many people as possible.

Today, 350 Ethiopians and 300 Sri Lankans are being taken to
Syria on two IOM convoys from where they will be flown home in the
next day or two. The 650 Ethiopians and Sri Lankans will initially
be taken to a CARITAS sponsored transit centre in Tartous where
they will receive food and shelter.

 

In the next four days, at least another 1,000 other stranded
migrants from Bangladesh, Ghana, Sri Lanka and the Philippines will
be evacuated by IOM to Syria by land from where they will be flown
home.

IOM is also helping groups of people who have already reached
the Syrian border through their own means. Yesterday, IOM assisted
more than 200 Iraqis who had arrived at the Al Arida border point
with Syria to the transit centre in Tartous. Those wanting to be
repatriated are being taken to Damascus today.

IOM is being approached by an increasing number of governments
and individuals to provide evacuation and usually repatriation
assistance. Since late last week, IOM has assisted more than 700
Sri Lankans, Sudanese and Iraqis with evacuation and/or
repatriation assistance from Lebanon and Syria.

In order to meet the escalating and urgent demands for the
evacuation of those foreigners who are stranded in Lebanon without
money or papers and with governments without the resources to
assist them, IOM has released US$750,000 from an emergency fund.
The Organization has appealed for US$14 million to provide
evacuation assistance for 10,000 people from Lebanon and Syria and
humanitarian assistance for another 10,000 internally displaced
people in Lebanon but it is likely that this may need to be revised
to reflect an evolving crisis.

More governments are approaching IOM for assistance to evacuate
their nationals, some of whom are in difficult to access locations.
Various individual requests are also coming in with numbers growing
by the day. IOM has been made aware of a minimum of nearly 12,000
people from the following countries who urgently need evacuation
assistance from Lebanon and Syria: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Madagascar, Mali,
Moldova, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Russia, South Africa,
Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Venezuela and Vietnam.

With increasing numbers of calls for help by individuals, some
by people whose employers are refusing to let them go, IOM has also
set up a helpline number for those needing assistance to contact.
The number is: +961 70 972 520.

For further information, please contact:

Jean Philippe Chauzy

Tel: + 41 22 717 9361

Mobile: + 41 79 285 4366

Email: "mailto:pchauzy@iom.int">pchauzy@iom.int

Jemini Pandya

Tel : + 41 22 717 9486

Mobile : + 41 79 217 3374

Email : "mailto:jpandya@iom.int">jpandya@iom.int





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