The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Tuesday brought home a third group of 445 Filipinos from the conflict-affected Lebanon, bringing the number of Filipinos brought back from Lebanon by the group to 1,350.

The IOM said in a statement the third IOM-chartered flight arrived in Manila from Damascus, where the group had been taken following their evacuation from Lebanon.

The flight, which was originally set to arrive in Manila on August 6, had been delayed as Israeli bombing of roads and bridges north of Beirut last Friday forced the postponement of an IOM convoy evacuating more than 700 Filipinos and Sri Lankans, said IOM.

The first group of 450 Filipino returnees arrived in Manila on August 2 and another 455 Filipino nationals arrived two days later.

"The evacuation of these 445 people was made more difficult by security concerns on the ground these past few days. So we are very happy to have brought them back to safety and to their homes and families as quickly as we have," said Ida Mae Fernandez, IOM project officer in Manila.

IOM expects to evacuate at least another 700 Filipinos this week from Lebanon.

With funding assistance from the European Union and the U.S. government in response to an IOM appeal-- the Organization has evacuated nearly 5,000 people of various nationalities from Lebanon in addition to providing them with shelter, food and medical assistance, said IOM.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said it will look into the alleged rape of two Filipina evacuees in one of the relocation centers of the IOM in Damascus.

Foreign affairs spokesman Gilberto Asuque said officials are coordinating with IOM officials on the matter. But he asked the media to be cautious when reporting about the news, as it is inappropriate to make such allegations while IOM is providing Filipinos with free transportation out of Lebanon and airfare back home.

Source: Xinhua