A Cypriot family living on the outskirts of Beirut is seeking assistance to evacuate Lebanon as the conflict in the region intensifies.
George, a 21-year-old Cypriot citizen whose great-grandfather emigrated to Lebanon years ago, described the situation to philenews in a phone interview. “We didn’t sleep at all last night. The bombardments wouldn’t let us”, he said, adding that his parents consider the current situation more dangerous than the 2006 war.
The family, including George’s parents and two younger siblings, all hold Cypriot citizenship. They report constant fear and sleepless nights due to ongoing explosions and collapsing buildings in their vicinity.
“It’s impossible to go outside. We’re in a deadlock right now”, George explained, mentioning his interrupted plans to finish his studies before moving to Cyprus.
The family claims they were initially contacted by the Cyprus Embassy in Beirut during the first bombardments but haven’t heard back since. They’re now attempting to reach out to the embassy themselves but fear venturing out to visit in person due to the dangerous conditions.
“If we start going, we don’t know if we’ll return home. We constantly hear the explosions, the noise of buildings collapsing. We can’t go out onto the street to get there.”
George appealed for support not only for his family but for all Lebanese civilians caught in the conflict. “As a Cypriot citizen, I’m asking Cypriots to support us, to help us”, he said.
George’s final plea was to be allowed to bring his dog if evacuation becomes possible: “If there is a way for us to come to Cyprus, I want to bring my faithful friend, my dog. I don’t want to leave him here alone”, he said.
More than 800 people have died in Lebanon since Israel launched an offensive against the country last Tuesday.
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