Debris of a damaged building lies at the scene of an Israeli military attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 28, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Published on: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 8:52 p.m.
Last updated: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 10:34 p.m.
Lebanese expatriates in the UAE are in a difficult position as they seek to evacuate their families from Lebanon. While some people are desperately trying to book flights, others are advising their relatives to stay put for now given the precarious situation at Beirut’s airport.
The situation has escalated significantly, with recent intensification of airstrikes targeting mainly Hezbollah-controlled areas on the southern outskirts of Beirut. Heavy shelling over the weekend caused widespread panic, forcing many residents onto the streets or into makeshift shelters.
Earlier in the day, Hezbollah confirmed the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, raising tensions. The announcement comes after the Israeli military claimed to have killed Nasrallah during a series of airstrikes on the southern outskirts of Beirut on Saturday.
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Mariam, a 45-year-old Lebanese expatriate who has called Dubai home for nearly 20 years, expressed her distress, saying: “All I could do was watch the news in agony.” Thankfully, her own family is safe in Dubai, but her immediate concern is for her mother and mother-in-law, who are still in Beirut. After contacting them, she was relieved to hear that they were not in any danger at this time.
โNo, we are not planning to evacuate them for now,โ Mariam told Khaleej Times on Saturday. She explained that her mother and mother-in-law are currently in a safer area and would only consider flying out of Beirut once the situation at the airport stabilized.
Mariam added that “most commercial airlines have canceled their operations and only Iraqi and Iranian airlines are still operating.” I heard that Israel threatened to bomb the airport if Iran transferred weapons to Hezbollah through Beirut. โ
“We’re not taking any risks at the moment. Everything is unstable,” he said, stressing the importance of vigilance. I truly believe it’s safer for them to stay there for now. We will arrange for them to leave Lebanon when it is safe to do so. โ
Flights between the UAE and Lebanon continue to be suspended amid increased airstrikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah. The UAE-based airline has extended the suspension of Beirut flights until October 1st.
Migration to northern Lebanon
Other Lebanese living in the UAE are also encouraging their families back home to move to safer areas in northern Lebanon. Ahmed AN, who has lived in the Emirates for the past 12 years and is from the border town of Bint Jabeir, expressed deep concern for his grandparents, who still live in Lebanon. โMy grandparents and relatives have already moved to the north of the country, away from the conflict zone,โ he said.
He noted that many people in his town are also seeking safety and finding shelter wherever possible. “They are currently staying in a hotel and waiting for an opportunity to move to relatives in the UAE or Canada,” Ahmed said.
Unfortunately, he is facing difficulties in bringing his grandparents to the UAE. “It doesn’t seem possible at the moment because flights are closed,” he said, adding that ticket prices for the next available flights have gone up. โThere is no guarantee that flights will resume soon. The situation is very unpredictable, and one moment it feels like we have it sorted out, and the next minute everything seems to be falling apart. Masu.”
Next, let’s take a look at the available flight ticket prices.
Evacuation flight postponed
Meanwhile, government-led mass evacuations are also facing difficulties due to a lack of available commercial flights.
Felicitas Bey, a former Philippine labor attachรฉ in Dubai, said at a press conference in Manila on Saturday that the repatriation of 15 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Lebanon, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, will be repatriated on October 2. announced that it has been postponed.
Bay, who is currently the head and undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Migrants and Workers (DMW), explained that the repatriation is voluntary as the Philippine government has only raised the alert level to Level 3. The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon advised Filipinos to remain vigilant in the current situation.
โRepatriation has been reset on October 2, so our kababayans (compatriots) are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines on October 3, barring any unforeseen circumstances.โ
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