Passengers queue at the check-in counters at Beirut-Rafic Al Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday. [Yara Abi Nader/Reuters]
Cyprus is prepared to assist in evacuating third-country nationals from the Middle East amidst escalating crisis, as confirmed by government officials.
While one country has requested Cyprus’ aid for civilian evacuations, the island has also offered its facilities to nine other countries for helping smaller groups of people leave the region.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos mentioned that the need for utilizing the Cypriot facility depends on the functionality of airports in the region, which may become necessary in case of closures due to recent events such as Iran’s missile attack on Israel.
In the past, Cyprus played a crucial role in evacuating around 60,000 people from Lebanon during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
With its strategic location, Cyprus continues to be a key transit point for individuals fleeing crisis situations in the Middle East, with reports of some arrivals on private yachts already.