Hundreds of Australians leave Lebanon via Cyprus

Hundreds of Australian nationals who fled from Beirut to Cyprus breathed a sigh of relief as they reached Larnaca on Saturday, recounting the intense bombing in Lebanon that left them terrified.

Around 500 individuals from Australia were to be evacuated through Cyprus over the course of the day. Specifically, 229 reached Larnaca airport shortly before noon and over 200 were expected at 4:30pm.

“They are exhausted, went through difficult times, and can’t wait to manage to sleep. They’re happy to be here but at the same time, are devastated because they left their families behind,” Australian High Commissioner Fiona McKergow said at the airport.

She expressed her gratitude to Cyprus and its government, as she specified the Australian nationals would begin their journey to their home country as of Sunday.

McKergow urged Australian nationals in Lebanon to get out as soon as possible and said more evacuations could be underway.

Foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said accommodation for all of the Australian arrivals had been arranged and they would be departing on Sunday with larger aircraft.

“Helping foreign nationals depart is part of the Estia scheme, as are all the arrangements during their stay.”

All arrivals to Cyprus as part of evacuation efforts have gone through passport control at the old Larnaca airport. The civil defence has offered water, apples and toast.

They will be staying at Larnaca’s army bootcamp site before their departure.

“Offering help and collaboration with other countries is our duty in the region, considering there are such needs quite often unfortunately in the past year-and-a-half,” Gotsis said.

“It is part of our responsibility as a member state of the region, to offer humanitarian help.”

So far, there have not been any requests from other countries for major evacuation operations, but there is collaboration with all countries that are constantly re-evaluating the situation on the ground and the needs of their citizens.

Gotsis said Saturday’s operation “is not strictly the Estia scheme” as it concerns commercial flights. “We’re not looking at a situation where commercial traffic is not available, and we had to take other steps.”

He said there is a cooperation with Slovakia since Friday, which sent a small military aircraft of its citizens from Lebanon. “So far, it has carried out three flights and removed around 100 people.”

Many of the Australian nationals at Larnaca airport were elderly and women with children, who said the children were the main reason they left Lebanon.

One woman in particular said her home was destroyed and there was no way she could go back.

The government in Lebanon says more than 2,000 people have been killed there in the past year, most in the past two weeks.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called the toll on civilians “totally unacceptable.” More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced from their homes.

Some have been able to afford yachts that bring them to Cyprus, but many are stuck and unable to leave. 

Meanwhile, a total of 70 passengers, including 38 Cypriot nationals, arrived Friday night in Larnaca from Beirut, the Cyprus’ foreign ministry announced on X.

It said Middle East Airlines operated an additional flight from Beirut, which arrived on Friday, at 10:55 pm, at Larnaca airport, following an initiative undertaken by the ministry.