Colombia’s Air Force picked up 117 people in Lebanon in response to their request for evacuation on Wednesday.
The aircraft flew to Beirut on Saturday to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate those who wanted to escape escalating violence between the Israeli armed forces and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The mission was organized by the Foreign Ministry and disaster management agency UNGRD.
The Colombian diplomatic and consular corps located in Lebanon has been leading and working from the very beginning on this important job in favor of our Colombians in the diaspora. Likewise, the Immediate Reaction Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GIT for Assistance to Colombian Nationals continue to monitor the flight and the situation in the Middle East.
Foreign Ministry
According to the Foreign Ministry, 664 Colombians resided in Lebanon at the beginning of the Israeli invasion. Of these people, 334 lived in high-risk areas.
Initially, 180 people had signed up for the evacuation, but some changed their minds and decided to stay with their family and friends in west Asia.
The flight left Lebanon hours after the first clashes between ground forces near the Israeli border in the south of country.
The Israeli Air Force has also carried out multiple bombardments in Beirut where Lebanon’s main airport is located.
