The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated plans to evacuate Nigerians residing in Lebanon who wish to return home, following the ongoing crisis in the country. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) released a statement on Friday, confirming a multi-stakeholder meeting had been convened to assess the situation of Nigerians in Lebanon and coordinate evacuation efforts with various agencies.
The crisis in Lebanon, which escalated in September 2024, has led to large-scale cross-border attacks, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and 6,352 injuries in just two weeks, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Since the conflict intensified in October 2023, more than 1,800 people have been killed and 9,100 injured.
The IOM also reported that as of September 30, 2024, 346,209 people had been internally displaced, with over 31,000 families living in 820 collective shelters. Additionally, over 175,000 Lebanese and Syrians have fled to Syria.
NEMA confirmed that the evacuation process has begun, with Nigerian citizens being mobilized, and plans for their safe return underway. The Nigerian Mission in Lebanon has been praised for assisting in moving Nigerians out of high-risk areas, with no reported casualties among Nigerian nationals so far.
Nigerians willing to be evacuated have been advised to report to the Nigerian Embassy in Beirut for profiling ahead of the airlift.
