The Federal Government has initiated plans to evacuate Nigerians living in Lebanon who wish to return home due to the ongoing crisis in the country. This follows recent large-scale cross-border attacks in Lebanon that have resulted in significant casualties.
In a statement issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday, the government announced that a multi-stakeholder meeting had been held to discuss the situation of Nigerians in Lebanon and to coordinate preparations for the evacuation.
The crisis in Lebanon escalated in September 2024, with over 1,000 deaths and 6,352 injuries reported within two weeks, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The total number of casualties since October 2023 has surpassed 1,800 deaths and 9,100 injuries. Additionally, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix identified 346,209 internally displaced persons, with over 137,000 individuals living in shelters, and more than 175,000 Lebanese and Syrians fleeing to Syria.
NEMA confirmed that the evacuation process is underway, beginning with the mobilisation of citizens in Lebanon, followed by necessary steps to bring them back home. The Nigerian Mission in Lebanon has been actively supporting the safe movement of Nigerians out of high-risk areas, and it was reported that no Nigerian lives have been lost so far.
The agency encouraged Nigerians willing to return to report to the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut for profiling ahead of the airlift back to Nigeria.
