In response to escalating security concerns, Tunisia has successfully evacuated 335 of its nationals from Lebanon across two flights operated by Tunisair.
The operation comes as the Israeli military intensifies its airstrikes in Lebanon, marking some of the severest since September 23, with a recent “limited” ground operation targeting Hezbollah positions in South Lebanon, resulting in casualties and displacements.
An early morning flight today landed at the Hajj airport adjacent to Tunis-Carthage International, bringing 102 individuals from Jordan.
A preceding flight from Beirut arrived yesterday with 233 passengers.
Approximately 2,000 Tunisians reside in Lebanon, including families with dual nationality, highlighting the extensive ties between the two nations and underscoring the urgency of the evacuation.
A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official reported today that approximately 900 government shelters in Lebanon are nearly full, with a growing number of people fleeing Israeli bombing forced to sleep outdoors.
“Most of the government shelters, numbering around 900, no longer have capacity,” stated Rola Amin, UNHCR spokesperson, during a press briefing in Geneva.
With winter approaching, UNHCR is concerned that the conditions for those affected by the escalating conflict will worsen.
Non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International and Doctors of the World, urged a ceasefire on Thursday and called for increased humanitarian aid to Lebanon, where the situation is described as “horrific” for hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals.
During a video conference attended by organizations such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, Doctors of the World, Refugees International, and Action Against Hunger, Jennifer Morehead from Save the Children highlighted the dire situation.
Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firas Al-Abyad, announced on Thursday that more than 40 emergency responders and firefighters have lost their lives in the past three days due to Israeli fire in Lebanon.
This tragic development has raised the total death toll among emergency workers since the escalation of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel nearly a year ago to 97.
