Spain’s Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country and has already prepared an evacuation plan that will be activated “if circumstances require it.”
Sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry told EFE that this plan is already “foreseen and prepared”.
Around 900 Spaniards currently reside in Lebanon, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to more than 800 soldiers who are part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The Spanish Foreign Ministry has updated travel recommendations for the country, which in recent days has seen an escalation of violence with attacks between Israel and the Shiite group Hezbollah.
The ministry recommended that Spaniards who are in the country, “especially if their stay is temporary, leave using existing commercial means” and advised citizens with flights scheduled for the next few days to check with their airline about the possibility of changes in schedules or flight cancellations.
“Any travel south of the Litani River and in the Bekaa region is discouraged as it is particularly dangerous,” warns the statement from the Spanish Foreign Ministry, which cites other areas to be avoided, such as some neighborhoods of Beirut, the border region between Lebanon and Syria, the Bekaa Valley, the Akkar region and the Palestinian refugee camps.
“Given the general context of instability, episodes of violence, including armed violence, and protests may occur in any part of Lebanon and therefore it is recommended that demonstrations and crowds be avoided,” the Ministry warned.
The ministry explained that “episodes of shortages of fuel, medicine, water, electricity, as well as the increase in the price of these products, affect the general activity of the entire country, as well as the provision of services, especially health, transport and internet”.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry recommended that the country’s documentation be kept in a safe place, that people stay informed about the evolution of the situation and that they follow the safety instructions of local authorities.
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