Safety measures for Lankans in Lebanon

Rasika Somarathna and Channa Kasturisinghe

COLOMBO: Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reiterated that the Government had taken all possible steps to ensure the safety of migrant workers in Lebanon.

The Government with the coordination of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beirut has arranged all relief measures for the affected workers due to the present conflict prevailing in Lebanon, Minister Samaraweera said.

According to the Minister there are more than 80,000 migrant workers in Lebanon and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment along with the Embassy in Beirut has set up 24-hour telephone hotlines, with the intentions of assisting the affected and relaying the latest information to the relatives at home about their loved ones.

"We are drawing up contingency plans to evacuate the affected Sri Lankans.

Already we have sought the help of ICRC, IOM and Caritas to arrange the safe transport of the migrant workers to Syria. In addition, with the help of the Lebanon Foreign Ministry we have arranged safe shelters for the affected Sri Lankans. Already 200 refugees have sought shelter in these centres," Samaraweera said.

According to Samaraweera the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beirut has appointed 12 coordinators to help the affected Sri Lankans 24 hours a day and President Mahinda Rajapaksa has already allocated Rs. 2.5 million to help relief work.

In addition the Government has made plans to evacuate the affected from Syria with the help of SriLankan Airlines.

The Government is also planning a broader agenda to help the affected and evacuate them if necessary if the situation worsens.