Humanitarian aid during the 2006 Lebanon War

Humanitarian aid during the 2006 Lebanon War refers to international efforts for civilian assistance during the 2006 Lebanon War.

Evacuation of foreign nationals Despite Lebanon's history of conflict, the suddenness of the latest conflict took many governments by surprise. The Israeli strategy of blockade, including seaports, the Beirut airport, and key roads and bridges, meant that expected escape routes were unavailable. Lebanon borders only Israel and Syria. According to a spokesman for the British High Commission in the Republic of Cyprus, both France and the United States have secured permission from the British to use the facilities of the British Sovereign Base Areas, which includes RAF Akrotiri.

Most countries evacuated their nationals by sea and air via Republic of Cyprus and Turkey or by bus through Syria.

The following is a brief list of the number of foreign nationals in Lebanon during the war: Sri Lanka: 80,000 Canada: 50,000 (11,000 evacuated, 11,000 home, 8 killed) Philippines: 30,000 (2,629 home, 65 in Syria, 2 dead)192 Filipino workers on road to Damascus (20 July 2006), Philippine Daily Inquirer (archived from the original on 2007-03-17). ^ Escape route bombed (2006-05-08), Philippine Daily Inquirer (archived from the original on Australia: 25,000 United States: 25,000 Over 15,000 were evacuated in 2006.Lebanon Situation Update (archived from [the original] on 2007-10-18). UK: 22,000 (inc. 10,000 with dual nationality) France: 20,000 Bangladesh: 20,000 Egypt: 15,000 (1200 evacuated) India: 12,000 Sweden: 7,000 (7,000 evacuated) Denmark: 4,100 Nepal: 4,000 (Nepalese government claims that its citizens are safe from harm) Venezuela: around 4,000. Germany: 2,600 Greece:2500-5000 Russia: 1,500 (250 evacuated) Romania: 1,200 (over 400 individually entered Syria, other 651 evacuated by authorities as of July 21) Armenia: 1,200 (730 evacuated from both Lebanon and Israel, dozens of Lebanese Armenians have been granted asylum) More Than 600 People Arrive In Armenia From Lebanon And Israel Since Beginning Of Operations, Another 120 People To Arrive Tomorrow , ArmeniaDiaspora.com730 Persons Evacuated From Lebanon To Armenia, PanArmenian.Net Ukraine: 1,200 (379 evacuated, 1 killed) Poland: 329 (all evacuated) Moldova: 240 (150 evacuated) Mexico: 216 that wish to be evacuated Bulgaria: 207 that wish to be evacuated, over 100 already in Syria and on their way home. Iran: 200 evacuated Ireland: 161 already evacuated. 17 Irish Defence Forces personnel are currently serving in the Middle East.UN calls for ceasefire in Lebanon (20 July 2006), RTÉ News; ^ Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea TD welcomes safe arrival of Irish Defence Forces families to Ireland (21 July 2006) Ireland Department of Defense. Cyprus: 102 evacuated. Croatia: 58 already evacuated. Slovakia: 56 already evacuated. Peru: Approximately 50 when crisis broke out, 4 evacuated by Chilean Airforce so far. Plans for evacuation include a route through Syria and a concerted effort involving Spain and Latin American allies. Kazakhstan: 31 already evacuated, 8 are still in Lebanon Evacuation Of Kazakhstanis From Lebanon Continues , Kazinform Malaysia: 10 evacuated.

Note: This is a non-exhaustive list.

Armenia Acting spokesperson of the Armenian foreign ministry, Vladimir Karapetyan stated that "several dozens of Armenian citizens are in Lebanon at present" and that "the main goal of the Armenian Embassy in Beirut is to secure Armenian citizens. The Armenian Embassy in Lebanon takes all measures to evacuate Armenian citizens." Karapetyan remarked that "they should be transported to Aleppo, Syria, and then to Armenia."Armenian Citizens Being Evacuated From Lebanon, PanArmenian. Net Over 600 Armenian nationals have been evacuated to Armenia from both Lebanon and Israel via the Aleppo airport since the start of the crisis, according to Yerevan officials. Dozens of Lebanese Armenians have also been evacuated. The foreign ministry estimates that there were approximately 1,200 Armenian citizens residing in Lebanon at least before the start of the crisis a week ago. On July 17, the Armenian government announced that it is ready to grant asylum to any Lebanese regardless of their ethnic origin. "Fortunately, our forecasts have proved correct and there has been no massive influx [of Armenian evacuees from Lebanon]," said Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian, "even though our diplomatic missions are prepared to help to evacuate more people."Lebanon Evacuees Arrive In Armenia, Armenialiberty.orgMore Than 600 People Arrive in Armenia from Lebanon and Israel Since Beginning of Operations, Another 120 People to Arrive Tomorrow , Armenia Diaspora

Australia

Three buses evacuated 86 Australians from Lebanon on July 17 after Australian Government officials negotiated safe passage for them with the Israeli Government. The Australian-Lebanese community in Lebanon is estimated to be as high at 25,000. By July 17, 4600 Australian citizens had registered with the Australian embassy in Beirut.

An Australian Government request for a short ceasefire in southern Lebanon to allow trapped Australians and other foreign nationals to escape was refused by Israel.

In spite of this, an Australian Government chartered ship was to evacuate about 300 Australians on July 19 to the port of Mersin, in southern Turkey, but this attempt was aborted when it was found out that the ship had been double-booked. A second vessel, this one chartered by the Canadian Government, has picked up an additional 100 Australians, and negotiations are under way for a third rescue vessel to be in Beirut by July 21. A Greek Navy ship evacuated another hundred and as of July 21 six Australian government-chartered ships are on their way to Lebanon. They will arrive on July 22.

The Australian government has been heavily criticized by Australia's ethnic Lebanese community and others for its slow and inadequate response in supporting and evacuating its citizens in Lebanon. In total 2,500 Australian citizens were evacuated from the Lebanon most of them through Cyprus.

Brazil Brazilians are being evacuated by bus to the city of Adana, on Turkey, where the Boeing 707 popularly known as "Sucatão" (which was the previous presidential aircraft), belonging to the Força Aérea Brasileira, is being used to bring back those who do not have their own means to go back to Brazil. The buses have a large Brazilian flag on their top, to avoid being fired upon by Israeli forces.

On July 17, a group of 122 Brazilians left Beirut on 3 buses towards Adana, where the Sucatão was waiting to transport them back to Brazil, going to Recife, Guarulhos, and Rio de Janeiro. After a stopover at Algiers, it arrived on July 18 at Recife, where none of the 98 passengers (including 85 Brazilians and 5 Argentines) disembarked. It later arrived at the Base Aérea de São Paulo at Guarulhos.

On July 21, a bus with 52 Brazilians left Beirut to Adana; its passengers had their own flights and thus did not need the help of the Brazilian Air Force. Another bus with 45 Brazilians left from Damascus.

On July 23, two more buses with 85 Brazilians left Damascus to Adana.

On July 24, the Sucatão again arrived at Recife bringing more than 90 passengers from the region of the conflict.

Still on July 24, ten buses with a total of 305 Brazilians left the Beqaa Valley to Damascus.

Also on July 24, 73 Brazilians boarded a Canadian ship destined to Turkey.

On July 25, a third flight of the Brazilian Air Force with 80 passengers arrived at Recife.

More flights were currently (as of July 25) planned, some for the Sucatão and some for TAM Airlines planes. Also, another ten buses will leave the Beqaa Valley to Damascus, transporting not only Brazilians, but also Canadians, Argentines and Paraguayans.

Canada Canada, which lost eight citizens and one UNIFIL soldier in IDF airstrikes, leased seven ships and started evacuating on July 20 some of the up to 50,000 Canadians in Lebanon to Cyprus. As of July 18, about 30,000 citizens had registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut. The parliamentary opposition, families of victims, and others in Canada have been critical of the government's response time and the use of online registration for potential evacuees. At least 100 Canadians secured passage on ships chartered by other nations, including France and the UK. Jacques Chirac, president of France, offered Jean Charest, premier of Quebec, France's assistance in removing Canadians.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was meeting with French president Jacques Chirac in Paris, travelled on his official jet to Cyprus on July 19 to allow 87 Canadians to return to Canada with him, in what he described as the "right thing to do". He was accompanied to Cyprus by only his essential staff: his bodyguards, communications aides, his logistics organizer, the tour director, a doctor, and his official photographer. Logistical difficulties developed after the government decided to evacuate Lebanon of Canadians to Turkey, and had to request that the British remove 120 Canadians to Cyprus to meet the prime minister's flight, but only about 20 boarded the British vessel. A boat chartered by the Canadian government brought Canadians, but was delayed for a number of reasons.

France

France sent a ferry from Cyprus to evacuate its own nationals with as much as a third of the passengers permitted to be nationals of other nations including Europe and the US.

Greece Two frigates of the Hellenic Navy, a C-130 transport aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, and several Greek ferry boats were sent to Lebanon. They evacuated between 2500 and 5000 Greek citizens, as well as large numbers of nationals of the European Union, United States, and other western countries. Evacuees traveling by ferry were first sent to Cyprus, where they boarded Olympic Airlines aircraft for transfer to Greece. Several Greek commercial ships were also used by other western countries, such as France and Sweden, in order to evacuate their nationals from the area, due to the proximity of Greece to the coast of Lebanon.

Iceland Four Icelanders left Beirut on a bus arranged by the Norwegian embassy on July 16, 2006; another group of six who were unable to board the bus after an apparent misunderstanding was evacuated by a Finnish bus on July 17, 2006. It was further planned to fly them to Copenhagen from Damascus's international airport.

India

India redirected four of its naval vessels (, , , and ) which had been returning to India after a goodwill visit to the Mediterranean region to Lebanon to evacuate Indian citizens. All of the ships were at battle stations, with guns and missiles fully warmed up. Already 49 Indians had been evacuated to Syria by bus. The ships shuttled between Beirut and Cyprus to evacuate Indians, from where they were flown out by Air India. The operation also evacuated Lebanese spouses of Indian citizens, as well as citizens of Sri Lanka and Nepal who had been living in Lebanon.

Ireland On July 17, two buses carrying 82 people departed Beirut to crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border and arrived safely in Damascus where they flew onwards to Dubai and then Dublin. The majority of passengers were Irish citizens but there were also a small number of other EU citizens. 16 Irish people who made their own way to Damascus and were including in arrangements to fly the Irish evacuees home to Dublin. A woman who is six months pregnant and her two children were flown back to Dublin on the Government jet. A further 50 Irish people remained in Beirut. They were transported out of Lebanon on July 20.

The Irish Government refused to allow US jets carrying bombs bound for Israeli use to re-fuel in Ireland. The jets were diverted to Prestwick Airport in Scotland causing embarrassment for the British government (see below).

Italy