Out of an estimated 26,000 Kenyans in Lebanon, at least 7,119 have registered to be evacuated following the ongoing instability and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the war-prone Middle East nation.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said there is a surge in numbers of Kenyans who are now voluntarily registering to be supported to come back home as compared to when the government gave its initial alert.
Speaking Thursday while issuing an update on the fate of Kenyans stuck in Lebanon, Mudavadi said the situation in the region is dire following the Israel-Hamas war that has drawn in Lebanon.
“They should not gamble, it’s not a game out there,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi however said no Kenyan casualty has been reported so far.
“Through the Kenya Embassy in Kuwait in liaison with the Honorary Consul in Lebanon, the government has kept abreast of daily developments with ensuring that Kenyans in Lebanon are adequately advised on safety measures to take pending their evacuation,” said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi said more Kenyans are expected to register for evacuation with three cohorts having already traveled back home, and the fourth and fifth batches expected to arrive this weekend.
Mudavadi regretted that currently, the evacuation process has proven to be slow and cumbersome due to stringent clearance requirements from the Lebanese authorities and limited flight options, with only one airline currently operating flights into Beirut.
The Prime CS has said due to the absence of an Embassy in Beirut, and the lean staff at the Honorary Consulate in Kuwait, the government has dispatched a team of ten consular officers to Beirut to assist with evacuation logistics.
“We are closely collaborating with the Kenyan Embassy in Kuwait, the leadership of Kenyans in Lebanon, the Lebanese Government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other Non-Governmental Organizations and foreign embassies and Kenya embassies in the neighboring countries to ensure a smooth evacuation process,” he said.
So far, only 35 Kenyans have been repatriated from Lebanon, with PS Roseline Njogu indicating that the government is facing numerous challenges due to the war, and the batches of Kenyans being evacuated is in numbers of 5 to 7, depending on the availability of space in the airlines.
“We can’t estimate the cost of this operation or how long it will take, but we are exploring other means to ensure that we bring all Kenyans home including via sea,” she said.
Mudavadi also the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary has cautioned Kenyans from traveling to countries that are currently experiencing conflict or turmoil stating that through the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, the government has reported that the conflict in the Middle East might not seize any time soon.
He said the government has instructed all Kenyan ambassadors in the region to conduct a swift registration exercise of Kenyans in their jurisdiction and to request the host countries to ascertain the number of Kenyans in those countries.
“The initiative aims to ascertain the number of Kenyans in these countries and the entire region since many do not go through regular channels and have not registered with our nearest missions as required.” he explained.
He said those who have travelled back have been provided with psychosocial support upon arrival in Kenya.
Mudavadi also affirmed the government’s commitment to ensure that all those willing to be evacuated are duly facilitated to exit Lebanon and any other conflict-ridden country or region.
