IOM Urged to Organize Evacuation Flights for Bangladeshis from Lebanon

Dhaka has requested the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to arrange chartered flights to evacuate Bangladeshi expatriates stranded in Lebanon, as Israeli airstrikes continue to target major cities in the middle eastern country. “The challenge is that Beirut's airport is currently unsafe for flight operations. We have suggested finding an alternative location outside the war-zone for the evacuation of Bangladeshi nationals,” Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain told reporters today at the foreign ministry here.

He said the Bangladesh mission in Lebanon has been instructed to compile a list of expatriates who wish to return home. Thousands of Bangladeshi migrants, facing deteriorating conditions, have fled from southern Lebanon to Beirut seeking safety amid the escalating conflict, the Bangladesh embassy reported.

The embassy, which was temporarily relocated to a safer area last week due to its proximity to the conflict, is coordinating efforts to assist those affected. The violence in Lebanon intensified on September 23 when Israel launched its largest air campaign in years, focusing on southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to residents.

According to international media, over 1,300 targets have been hit, mostly in the southern region, marking the heaviest bombardment in recent times. The conflict has claimed more than 2,080 lives and left nearly 9,870 wounded since Israel began its airstrikes last month. Over 100,000 people have fled Lebanon to neighboring Syria in search of refuge from the violence.