NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 17 – The government is mulling evacuating more than 7,000 Kenyans stuck in Lebanon by sea following hiccups faced in evacuating them through air transport due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed that the evacuation exercise by air has been slow due to high demand in the war-torn country impeding the efforts for the exercise.
“We can’t estimate the cost of the exercise or how long it’s going to take, but we are seeking other means to ensure that we bring all the Kenyans home,” he said.
“We are foreseeing a situation where Kenyans in Lebanon maybe evacuated by sea to another nearby peaceful country then they will later be evacuated by air,” Mudavadi added.
Mudavadi attributed the delays in evacuations due to the stringent clearance requirements from Lebanese authorities and limited flight option with only one airline operating flights to Beirut.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary expressed that out of the 26,000 Kenyans estimated to be in Lebanon 7,119 have so far registered seeking to be evacuated.
“Initially the registering was very slow, but as the war rages on, we have seen an increase in the numbers, and we expect that they will rise even further,” Mudavadi noted.
A multi-agency team formed by joint officials of Kuwait Embassy has been dispatched to assist the Honorary Consul to coordinate the activities.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu disclosed that so far only 35 Kenyans have been repatriated home from Lebanon, with another batch expected over the weekend.
“We are experiencing lots of challenges because of the war, so they are coming in in batches of 5, or 7 depending on the availability of space,” PS Njogu said.
The government had set aside Sh100 million to be used in the evacuation of Kenyans stranded in Lebanon following escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Mudavadi said the government has already set up a coordinating committee in the ministry of Foreign Affairs to oversee the evacuation process.
To assure their safety and protection in the midst of the tensions being experienced in the unstable Middle Eastern nation, the government has been urging Kenyans in distress in Lebanon to register for evacuation.
The Ministry of Foreign affairs and Diaspora also urged Kenyans in Tension prone areas to move to designated safe zones if able.
Additionally the Ministry further issued emergency hotline numbers for Kenyans living in Lebanon directing Kenyans with family members in Lebanon, to call +254114757002 for coordination.
On August 6 2024 the government initiated an urgent evacuation plan for its citizens in Lebanon, citing escalating tensions.
Source: capitalfm
