Evacuation to Cyprus Continues as Number Expected to Triple, Says FM

Nicosia.- (CNA) – People of all nationalities flee war-torn Lebanon and are transported continuously from the fighting and killing to safety in Cyprus.
Ships toiled all night bringing evacuees into Larnaca and Limassol ports.
In Limassol, ferry-boat ”Alkion” docked at 01:30 local time carrying 500-800 passengers, the ship USS Trento docked at 02:20 with 2.000 passengers and the vessel USS Nashville docked at 09:30 with 1.000 passengers.

The ship HMS ST. Alban’s docked yesterday afternoon at Limassol Port carrying 238 passengers.

The ”Orient Queen” is expected to dock tomorrow early hours in the morning bringing 1.000 passengers.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Georgios Lillikas and French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Catherine Colonna inspected on Saturday morning French-chartered vessels which arrived at Larnaca Port from Beirut bringing French nationals.

Colonna praised Cyprus’ handling of the crisis adding that until today 3.000 French evacuees have been transported to Cyprus.

The situation in Lebanon is very dangerous and everybody is doing a remarkable job, she said.

”I would like to give my thanks to the government of Cyprus and all the volunteers, the police and all who helped the people”, she added.

”We would like everything to go back to normal but we do not know when that will be done”, she said adding that ”today we will probably be able to move around a thousand people, we have one airplane and we are waiting for another one to come to Cyprus”.

Foreign Minister Lillikas said Cyprus does not have the capacity to offer long term accommodation to Lebanon’s evacuees adding that the government insists on its plan for short term stay of all evacuees until they are ready to be transported to their countries.

According to a Reuters news agency report, Lillikas said the number of people evacuated so far from Lebanon to Cyprus exceeds 25.000.

“We expect the number to triple in the coming days. There are more than 60.000 to 70.000 to be evacuated through Cyprus”, he added.

Lillikas congratulated all employees and volunteers at the island’s ports and airports for assisting the evacuees.

He also expressed concern over the possibility of a wave of Lebanese refugees towards Cyprus.

”No one can estimate if there would be such a wave and how big it would be”, Lillikas said adding ”for that reason we have asked from day one help from the EU”.

Asked if all Cypriot nationals have been evacuated from Lebanon, he replied positively.

TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS
President Tassos Papadopoulos called on the EU on Saturday to help Cyprus in handling the influx of foreign nationals fleeing Lebanon.

Speaking during a visit to Larnaca Port, President Papadopoulos appealed for planes and coordination to transfer the foreign nationals back to their homelands.

He said Cyprus is an EU border, therefore the problem is European. So far, President Papadopoulos said, only Finland has responded to a demand for more countries to open their borders.

Invited to comment on the humanitarian effort underway in Cyprus, President Papadopoulos said “given our limited capabilities, we have exceeded ourselves”.

He commended civil servants and the Cyprus Red Cross, noting “we cannot praise them enough” since they are working round the clock, protecting the name of their country and assuring that Cyprus can be valuable in Europe as a bridge of peace between Middle East countries and Europe”.

Asked if Cyprus will continue providing facilities to Lebanon’s evacuees, President Papadopoulos said “we will continue as long as our restricted means allow us to”. He stressed that Cyprus will accept all those who arrive on the island but said he hoped that there will be European solidarity and support “since we are on Europe’s borders. This is not clearly a Cyprus problem, but a European problem, therefore we are expecting a response”.

He thanked Finland which chairs the EU presidency this term, noting that it was the first country which responded to the Cypriot appeals. “We provide accommodation for two to three nights, or as long as needed. We need the support of European countries to help these people reach their final destinations. So far only Finland has responded and we are very grateful”, he said.

Papadopoulos noted “planes and coordination” are needed so that those who arrive will have the necessary coordination as far as their transportation outside Cyprus is concerned. This, he added, has been achieved as far as EU citizens are concerned, but stressed he did not know what would happen if in the future thousands of people from India, Bangladesh or the Philippines arrived.

Asked if other countries have done enough to help, President Papadopoulos said “”I believe they could have done much more”.

To a question if Cyprus should be concerned by possible repercussions from the war in Lebanon, President Papadopoulos replied that “Cyprus is concerned with every source of unrest in the region”.

He added that Cyprus “is a safe destination and I believe the developments of the last days have proved that Cyprus is a source of security and stability in the region and that it can help in maintaining peace and stability”.

President Papadopoulos visited the ferry boat ”Iera Petra” which brought French and Belgian nationals to Cyprus, and then inspected the passengers’ lounge where the centre coordinating the arrival of the foreign nationals is located.