www.talkcyprus.org

Dhavlos · Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 4697 Location: Birmingham

Is this an important issue in cyprus....any social isses? where are the people going? is it putting pressure on already pressured hotels and accommodation?
Quote:
Evacuees describe Lebanon ordeal
Thousands fleeing the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon have started to arrive in Cyprus. The BBC's Tabitha Morgan met some of them as they disembarked from the Italian warship Luigi Durand de la Penne.

An Italian sailor from the Luigi Durand de la Penne cradles an evacuee
Italian sailors provided a helping hand
Darkness had fallen over Larnaca port when the first ship bringing evacuees from Lebanon docked. The Luigi Durand de la Penne was guided to the quay by a single tug.

Disembarkation of the refugees was delayed while the Italian ambassador was piped on board - a necessary part of naval protocol.

Among the first of the evacuees to step safely onto Cypriot soil were four mothers and their tiny babies.

cannedmoose · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:23 am Post subject:

From information I have, Cyprus is simply being used as an evacuation hub, the refugees will be flown on to their native countries almost immediately. This has already happened with a number of the British evacuees who are already back in the UK.

Dhavlos · Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 4697 Location: Birmingham

cannedmoose wrote: From information I have, Cyprus is simply being used as an evacuation hub, the refugees will be flown on to their native countries almost immediately. This has already happened with a number of the British evacuees who are already back in the UK.

this is what i gathered....just wondering if it was otherwise

pg · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 1485 Location: Cyprus

It is a rather big thing in the news reports - sometimes with extra news as ships arrive.

As CM said, I think most refugees now are those with EU passports, so these will most likely move on as soon as possible.

No strain on society.

pg · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 1485 Location: Cyprus

PS. The UK and US appears to be running their own evacuation via the bases, while the rest is using services of the Republic of Cyprus.

city · Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 3373 Location: Larnaca area

cannedmoose wrote: From information I have, Cyprus is simply being used as an evacuation hub, the refugees will be flown on to their native countries almost immediately. This has already happened with a number of the British evacuees who are already back in the UK.

yep, thats what they say here as well. Mainly Italian and French people.
Most Germans went by bus to Damascus and got on a plane there, directly back to Germany. One of the big tourist agencies had sent a plane to pickup the refugees.

cannedmoose · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:30 pm Post subject:

I hope it gets cleared up soon anyway, my parents have a container load of stuff arriving at Limassol soon... :lol:

city · Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 3373 Location: Larnaca area

I read in german media that Lillikas is asking the EU for more evacuating flights as Cyprus can not cope with the number of refugees.

I thought they are all flown out then with planes from their home countries, no?

magikthrill · Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 630 Location: NYC

maybe the larnaca airport is not big enough to handle this mass exodus of the refugees from lebanon.

but then again cyprus is accustomed to refugees so im sure theyll know what to do :-/

city · Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 3373 Location: Larnaca area

magikthrill wrote: maybe the larnaca airport is not big enough to handle this mass exodus of the refugees from lebanon.

Probably not. Normal parking space is unavailable, everything is blocked for the refugee coaches... Also flights are already delayed...

cypezokyli · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 2344

today the goverment asked for international help , bc we dont have the infrastructure to deal with all that influx of reffuggees or tourist leaving lebanon.

under the circumstances , i believe the the goverment and its apparatus deserve a credit. considering our capacities , the impression that i got up to now is that they are doing a very good job.

well done

Leyla · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 612

Last night's British news reports were talking of additional aircraft being chartered directly to Akrotiri to fly the British citizens to the UK from there.

Cyprus rules! · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 668

I heard yesterday that apparently it's becoming harder for the Cypriot Government to cope with the influx of refugees coming on to the Island, and that they've appealed to other European country's for help...

city · Joined: 15 Aug 2005 Posts: 3373 Location: Larnaca area

Leyla wrote: Last night's British news reports were talking of additional aircraft being chartered directly to Akrotiri to fly the British citizens to the UK from there.

yep, most Brits are flown out via RAF Akrotiri. (BFBS is my usual Radio Station here in Germany :-) )

Dhavlos · Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 4697 Location: Birmingham

more news:

http://euobserver.com/9/22145

Quote: Cyprus has called on the EU for help as it deals with the thousands of evacuees fleeing the Israeli offensive in Lebanon.

Makis Constantinides, the director-general of the Ministry of Communications and Works, said that the EU needs to recognise how much the evacuation effort is costing the Mediterranean island and offer help.

"Right now Cyprus is the only outlet for foreigners from Lebanon. It is getting very difficult", he told Reuters news agency on Thursday (21 July).

"[We need] the other EU member states to put their ports and airports at the disposal of the [evacuation] operation and help Cyprus face this huge humanitarian problem," he added.