A mother hugging her son who fled Ukraine through Poland on March 6, 2022 upon arrival at Beirut Airport. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the evacuation of Lebanese citizens who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a “success.” This announcement contradicts several testimonies shared by Lebanese citizens who were stranded in Ukrainian territory and evacuated to neighboring countries via their own means.
Here’s what we know:
• In a press release, the ministry said that “the operation of repatriating Lebanese citizens in Ukraine who wished to leave the country took place successfully, in cooperation with the embassies of Lebanon in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Russia, as well as the High Relief Committee.”
• The ministry also noted that the mission faced “certain difficulties due to developments on the ground and the absence of [humanitarian] security corridors.”
• Several hundred Lebanese citizens who fled Ukraine were repatriated during the month of March, many of whom were stranded there or in neighboring countries for several days.
• Lebanese businessmen who hold Ukrainian nationality or have other interests in the country have often paid for the repatriation of other Lebanese citizens, as the government struggled to mobilize at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.