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This report was compiled from open source press reporting, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs information, and OSAC constituent reporting.
Evacuation Information:
NOTE: All evacuation plans and methods listed below should be considered fluid and subject to change. OSAC will provide updates as available; see below for contact information for updates on the latest developments.
- The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has moved from a registration-based system to an open system in which any American citizens seeking evacuation from Lebanon should present themselves at the port at the DBAYEH BRIDGE in Beirut, specifically the Mobile Forces Barracks (Marina Khoury) facing the water station pump near Dbayeh Port.
- The initial screening will involve verification of American citizenship and eligibility for travel. To ensure security and that of other travelers, a security screening will also be conducted. Once these steps are completed, evacuees will be taken by bus to the port, and then go through Lebanese immigration procedures before boarding the ship.
- Those American citizens seeking evacuation are advised to bring sufficient amounts of food and water to sustain them during the day. Additionally, evacuees should bring all travel documents (passports, green cards, etc.), cash, credit cards, and other important documents. Each person will be allowed one small carry-on suitcase, maximum weight 15kg (33 pounds). Also suggested is a change of clothes for two to three days, medications, toiletries, water, and snacks.
- Helicopters are shuttling loads of 30 people each - only the most dire humanitarian and high-risk health cases - directly to Cyprus from the U.S. embassy.
- U.S. officials said more than 8,000 of the roughly 25,000 Americans who live or work in Lebanon will be evacuated by the weekend. Approximately 3,800 American citizens already have been evacuated. On July 21, over 2,300 people were evacuated.
- The pace of the departure of Americans from Lebanon quickened Thursday, as more ships moved into position off Beirut and made the 100-mile (160-kilometer) trip to Cyprus.
- Press sources estimate that in the last week, 20,000 evacuees of various nationalities have arrived in Cyprus and the infrastructure of this small island is being strained. As a result, the U.S. government has identified Mersin, Turkey as an overflow evacuation point.
- Vessels arriving in Cyprus or Turkey will be met by U.S. consular officers who will assist Americans in moving to staging sites for preparation for onward travel to the U.S. With thousands of Americans to process it may be several hours before they will be able to contact their families in the US.
- American evacuees are being offered government-chartered flights from Cyprus or Turkey to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) or Philadelphia International Airport. Three charter flights arrived July 21 at BWI, carrying 697 people. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Red Cross, and Maryland state government officials provided assistance. A charter flight with 217 people is scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia the evening of July 21.
- On July 20, the U.S. government transported 2,223 people out of Lebanon: 1, 058 on USS Nashville, 874 on the Orient Queen, and 191 by U.S. military helicopters. Among those on the Orient Queen were 341 people transported from southern Lebanon.
Support in Turkey:
- Ships are now transporting evacuees from Beirut to Mersin (Icel), Turkey. After evacuees disembark from this six to ten hour journey, they will be transported by bus to Incirlik Air Force Base. The first Americans are expected to arrive on Canadian chartered ships, ferries and catamarans as early as this evening.
- The MS Ramah, a Saudi chartered ship carrying 1,400 American citizens, is expected to arrive in Mersin in the late afternoon of July 22.
- As of Friday, July 21, American ships carrying American evacuees were not expected to arrive in Mersin until 8:00 PM local time on Saturday, July 22.
- The U.S. Consulate in Adana has received reinforcement from the U.S. diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul and is prepared to accommodate the needs of up to 2,000-2,500 evacuees per day.
- Chartered aircraft are expected to be able to transport up to 1,400 Americans from Incirlik Air Force Base on July 22 and 23. Information on additional chartered flights and the U.S. destinations of these flights is not yet available. In addition, American citizens will be free to leave Incirlik Air Force Base and opt for independent travel plans.
- Incirlik Air Force Base is expected to be able to house up to 2,500 people a day if necessary. Evacuees will be provided with tents, cots and food for the duration of their stay at the base.
- According to press reports, the Turkish authorities have provided additional support services at Mersin port, including additional lighting for night arrivals and ambulances for the ill.
- The Turkish government is waving the normal 20USD visa fee for all incoming evacuees. Once the evacuees have been bused to Incirlik, they will be issued an entrance visa.
U.S. Government Evacuation Resources:
The assets used to transport American citizens include:
Air Support:
- U.S. Military helicopter flights continue to carry out approximately 200 passengers daily, mainly priority cases involving medical and family reunification issues.
Maritime Support:
- The MS Ramah (Saudi-owned, Panamanian flagged passenger vessel).
- The Orient Queen (Passenger cruise ship; capacity up to 1,400; is going back and forth between Beirut and Larnaca, Cyprus).
- The Vittoria M (U.S.-chartered Italian passenger vessel; capacity up to 330; expected arrival in Beirut on July 22).
- Canadian chartered ships, including Blue Dawn.
- U.S. military vessels USS Nashville, USS Iwo Jima, USS Whidbey Island, USS Trenton and USS Swift (USS Swift expected in Beirut July 25).
U.S. Military Support:
- Approximately 40 U.S. Marines have been tasked with the evacuation effort and will be assisting American citizens out of the country.
- The U.S. military ships USS Gonzales and USS Barry have been escort ships for the chartered civilian ships.
Cost of Evacuation: As reported yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has waived requirements for American citizens to reimburse the State Department for travel costs.
Damage - Roads, Bridges, Infrastructure:
- Airports: As a result of heavy and repeated shelling, the following airports have been severely damaged: Beirut International Airport, Kleyate Airport (near Tripoli), and Riyaq Military Airport (Bekaa Valley).
- Maritime: Multiple air strikes have damaged Lebanon's three major seaports: Beirut, Tripoli, and Jamil Gemajel.
- Roads and Major Highways: Israeli air strikes have targeted road networks that link southern Lebanon to Beirut and the rest of Lebanon. Thirty-eight roads have been cut off and 42 bridges have been destroyed - with others partially destroyed. Road travel in southern Lebanon is considered increasingly dangerous.
- The Beirut-Damascus international road has sustained severe damage and repeated shelling. Israeli warplanes also fired four missiles that caused the collapse of part of a 1.6 mile-long bridge linking two steep mountain peaks on the road.
- Entering Syria from eastern Lebanon is increasingly difficult as side roads that link up with the Beirut-Damascus road have also sustained repeated shelling. Israeli air strikes left three passenger buses in flames in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border, on the road linking Beirut and Damascus, but police stated that nobody was hurt. The buses had just dropped off foreign passengers in Syria.
- El Qaa-Homs road in northeast Lebanon is closed.
- The only viable road exit from Lebanon is the road network north of Tripoli linking to Syria.
- Destroyed bridges include: Qassimieh bridge between Sidon and Tyre, five bridges in Nabatieh, three in Danmour, two in Hadid, Hajje bridge in Maamarieh, Namlieh bridge in Dahr-el- Baidar, and the Mdayrej bridge on the Beirut-Damascus international road.
Onward Travel from Syria: Yesterday, press reports indicated that commercial airline flights out of Damascus are fully booked until the end of the month; however, airlines have been adding additional flights to accommodate additional passengers.
Energy Resources: There have been reports warning that petroleum supplies could run out by the end of this week, and several petroleum stations have been targeted by Israeli air raids.
Humanitarian Relief:
- The Red Cross sent 22 tons of food and supplies Friday, July 21, along with a nutritionist and a surgeon, from Beirut to Tyre.
- Israeli officials have established a humanitarian corridor on the Mediterranean to allow the passage of international aid to Lebanese civilians via Cyprus.
- The price of food, medical supplies and gasoline has risen by as much as 500 percent in parts of Lebanon. The World Food Program said estimates of basic food supplies ranged from one to three months.
- Officials have stated that France will dispatch urgent aid to Lebanon by air and sea.
Security Situation:
- Israeli forces struck 40 targets in Lebanon overnight, including Hezbollah headquarters, missile-launching sites along the Israeli-Lebanese border, rocket launchers, vehicles and access routes, the city of Baalbek, and other Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut.
- All vehicles on roads in southern Beirut are potentially at risk.
- A U.N.-run observation post near the border took a direct hit Friday during fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants. Soldiers from Ghana were manning the post, but were safe inside a bomb shelter. Meanwhile, Israel resumed air strikes on Lebanon and prepared for a possible ground invasion, warning people in the south to evacuate.
- According to press reports, Hezbollah continued its assault Friday on the Israel port of Haifa. Shortly after 1 p.m. local time a volley of 15 rockets fell, striking Haifa, as well as the towns of Meron, Safed, Yiron and Avivim. The fresh wave of attacks injured 19; no deaths were reported.
- Israeli officials continue to advise citizens in northern Israel to remain in bomb shelters and heed air raid siren warnings.
- The Israeli Defense Forces have stated that they have called an additional 5,000 reserve troops into duty. The move was said to be to relieve forces currently operating in northern Israel, but press has speculated on a potential imminent move of some Israeli troops into southern Lebanon.
International Protests:
There is a possibility throughout the Middle East, as well as worldwide, for protest activity related to violence in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. Americans living overseas should always remember to avoid large crowds, keep a low profile, and monitor U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs information at http://www.travel.state.gov. Americans can also check for updated Warden Messages (messages providing current information on ongoing events) on individual U.S. Embassy websites, a list of which can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov. Some of these protests are highlighted below.
- UK: On Saturday, July 22, there will be several marches and protests throughout the UK in response to the situation in the Middle East. Organized by Stop the War Coalition, a march/rally will be held in London and a protest in Edinburgh. The police estimate 10,000 participants in London.
- The London march will begin at 1:00 p.m. and should end at 4:30 p.m. in Hyde Park. The march route includes Upper Grosvenor St, which runs past the south side of the Embassy. The entire march route will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the march. Due to the size of the demonstration, expect significant traffic disruptions.
- The Edinburgh protest will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the city center.
- Paraguay: The Second Congress of Social Organizations in planning demonstrating and marching in Ciudad del Este on Friday, July 21, Saturday, July 22 and Sunday July 23. These events will begin at 9 a.m. and will commence at Escuela Guazu, which is located close to the Panorama Inn.
- Jordan: Over the past four days, peaceful demonstrations have occurred throughout Jordan. The demonstrations are expected to continue and grow in size over the next couple of days.
- Spain: In Madrid and Barcelona, thousands protested against the Israeli military campaign on Friday. The demonstrations drew an estimated 15-20,000 people under the slogan "Against the war and the occupation. Peace in the Middle East."
For Further Information:
If you wish to speak with OSAC regional coordinators, please contact:
Mary Hackman: 571-345-2221, hackmanm@state.gov
Corey Vitello: 571-345-2232, vitellocj@state.gov
Or the 24-hour Duty Phone: 202-309-5056.
If you need immediate assistance with evacuation, please call the Lebanon Task Force, at 1-888-407-4747 (from within the U.S.), or if you are outside the U.S., 1-202-501-4444.
Americans wishing to depart Lebanon may also monitor the local radio - 105.5 FM - or the Embassy website, http://lebanon.usembassy.gov, for the latest information on when and how to depart Lebanon.
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