Cyprus bracing itself for possible influx of Lebanese fleeing their country: official

Cyprus is calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon and is bracing itself to tackle a possible influx of Lebanese fleeing their country, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Cypriot Minister of the Interior Andreas Christou said that "we are taking the necessary measures and making preparations to face such an eventuality."

Christou reiterated that Cyprus does not have the capacity to accommodate thousands of refugees fleeing Lebanon. "We have stated to the representatives of the European Union (EU) that Cyprus does not have the infrastructure for a long accommodation of refugees," he added.

"We can cope up with a wave of 8,000 people daily without particular difficulties and with the assistance of other European countries to transfer them to countries where they can find better conditions," said Christou.

According to a press release by the office of the European Commission in Nicosia, EU has allocated 13.75 million U.S. dollars to help around 10,000 citizens from developing countries return home from Lebanon.

Many countries are evacuating their nationals from Lebanon through Cyprus via air or sea, as Israel has launched attacks on Lebanon since Lebanese Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight on July 12.

Source: Xinhua