Brazil evacuates additional 217 people from Lebanon
An additional 217 passengers and five pets from Lebanon arrived this Thursday morning (Oct. 10) at the São Paulo Air Base, marking the third flight of Operation Cedar Roots. To date, 672 Brazilians or their relatives have been repatriated from Lebanon, following the escalation of conflict by Israeli forces targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanese territory.
The Brazilian Air Force estimates it will repatriate around 3,000 of the 21,000 Brazilians living in Lebanon. Approximately 500 passengers are expected to be transported each week, with a mandatory refueling stopover in Lisbon, Portugal, on both the outbound and return journeys.
The aircraft used by the Brazilian Air Force is a KC-30, which has a capacity of 230 passengers. On this third flight, a 41-year-old passenger had to remain in Lisbon due to a suspected case of thrombosis. He is currently receiving medical care and is being monitored by the Brazilian consulate in the city.
Among the passengers on the three repatriation flights, approximately 80 are foreign nationals who are relatives of Brazilians. Additionally, through a mutual agreement between the governments of Brazil and Lebanon, other foreigners were also able to board the Brazilian aircraft. These passengers include individuals from Uruguay, Argentina, and Venezuela."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that upcoming flights are being coordinated through communication between the Brazilian embassy in Beirut and Brazilian citizens, along with their families.
