Lebanese citizens who fled Ukraine were welcomed at Beirut airport on March 2, 2022 at 4 a.m. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — The first wave of Lebanese citizens coming from Ukraine after the Russian invasion arrived at 4 a.m. Wednesday in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Here’s what we know:
• The group is made up of several dozen people who fled Ukraine through Romania, including 40 students. They arrived at 4 a.m. Beirut time, and were welcomed by their relatives and by the secretary general of the High Relief Committee responsible for helping nationals stranded in Ukraine, Mohammad Kheir.
• “In the next 48 hours, another plane will arrive from Warsaw [Poland],” Kheir said. He also said that "going through Romania was the easiest route” for the evacuees to escape Ukraine and eventually travel to Lebanon.
• He explained that 960 Lebanese residing in Ukraine have registered with the Lebanese embassy in Kyiv, including 450 registered to go to Poland, of which 250 have already arrived on site.
Lebanese citizens who fled Ukraine were welcomed at Beirut airport on March 2, 2022 at 4 a.m. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
• According to the NNA, the first wave of Lebanese citizens to arrive from Ukraine were hosted for free in Romania by businessman Mohamad Murad, who also bought their tickets. “Another group will soon leave Bucharest to come to Lebanon once the necessary measures have been taken," said Murad on Tuesday in an interview.
• An online form was made available to the Lebanese in Ukraine who wish to evacuate the country by the Foreign Ministry, which had announced that they would be allowed to cross the border into Poland.
• Described as a "special military operation" by Moscow, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has already caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries including soldiers and civilians.