The Federal Government has launched efforts to evacuate Nigerians living in Lebanon who wish to return home due to the ongoing crisis in the country.
In a statement issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday, the government announced that a multi-stakeholder meeting had been convened to gather updates on the situation of Nigerians in Lebanon.
The crisis in Lebanon intensified in September 2024, with widespread cross-border attacks resulting in over 1,000 deaths and 6,352 injuries within a two-week period, as reported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). This brought the total death toll to over 1,800, with 9,100 injuries recorded since the conflict escalated in October 2023.
According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, as of September 30, 2024, there were 346,209 internally displaced persons in Lebanon, including over 31,000 families (approximately 137,000 individuals) residing in 820 collective shelters. Additionally, more than 175,000 Lebanese and Syrian individuals have fled to Syria.
NEMA stated that it is coordinating the evacuation process, which has begun with the mobilization of Nigerian citizens, and will soon take the necessary steps to facilitate their return home.
“The leader of the Nigerian community confirmed in a phone call the support from the Nigerian Mission in Lebanon, particularly regarding their safe movement from high-risk areas, noting that no Nigerian lives have been lost so far,” the statement noted.
Nigerians interested in evacuation are encouraged to report to the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut for profiling ahead of the airlift.
