Jordanian aid lands in Beirut as citizens evacuate

AMMAN — A Royal Jordanian Air Force plane landed on Saturday at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, carrying 15 tonnes of food, relief materials, medicine, and medical supplies to support various sectors in Lebanon and help them overcome the difficult circumstances they are facing.

The same day, under Royal directives, the Foreign Ministry announced the evacuation of 35 Jordanian citizens from Lebanon, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

The plane was received by Jordan's ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Hadid, and on the Lebanese side, by Brigadier General Ghaleb Kanaan, the representative of the Lebanese Army Commander.

Kanaan expressed the Lebanese Army Command's gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah for the Kingdom's continuous support and solidarity with the Lebanese people.

The plane had departed from Amman to evacuate Jordanian nationals from Lebanon following the ongoing events there.

Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah said that the total number of Jordanians evacuated from Lebanon via two Royal Jordanian Air Force aircraft reached 79 citizens, all of whom had registered on the electronic platform set up by the Jordanian Embassy in Lebanon.

He explained that since the beginning of August, 3285 Jordanians have arrived in the Kingdom from Lebanon, via Queen Alia International Airport, in addition to those who arrived overland through the Jaber border crossing.

Qudah indicated that the Jordanian Embassy in Beirut, in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority, is cooperating with Middle East Airlines to operate additional flights to the Kingdom, allocating special seats for Jordanians wishing to return. The embassy is also assisting in facilitating overland returns to the Kingdom via Syria.

He pointed out that the evacuation process is part of a plan developed by the ministry in collaboration with the Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army, security agencies, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management.

The official affirmed the continued work of the joint crisis cell to evacuate Jordanians in coordination with the relevant Lebanese authorities. He noted that the Jordanian Embassy in Lebanon is in constant contact with members of the Jordanian community there, and that all are well and no injuries have been reported.

 He expressed his gratitude to the Lebanese authorities for facilitating the evacuation of Jordanians from Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut.