People are paying up to $1,600 for yacht passage from Lebanon to Cyprus, as Israel resumes bombardments in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Luxury boats operating from Dbayeh marina, north of Beirut, have become a vital escape route with commercial flights limited.
Several companies are advertising their services on social media, with prices rising rapidly. One captain told metro.co.uk the six-hour trip now costs $1,600 per person, up $300 from a few days earlier.
The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reports up to seven boats from Lebanon are docking daily at Ayia Napa marina, primarily transporting Europeans and embassy staff.
Lebanese government estimates place the number of displaced at over 1.2 million, mainly in southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut. Thousands have also fled to Syria and Jordan.
Most Western countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. A charter flight carrying British nationals from Lebanon landed in Birmingham on Wednesday evening, with more flights planned in the coming days.
(Image source @captainpierre1/@omarmabsou)
(information from metro.co.uk)
