The numerous conflicts in Lebanon have always led to significant population movements, whether within the country or abroad. The ongoing war in Lebanon, between Israel and Hezbollah, has also generated its share of departures of Lebanese and non-Lebanese in search of peace and serenity, far from the bombings. The numbers are significant!
The numerous conflicts in Lebanon have always led to significant population movements, whether within the country or abroad.
The ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah has also generated its share of departures to various destinations. The numbers are still not very precise, but remain significant.
Thus, the national aviation company, Middle East Airlines (MEA), revealed that, since foreign companies no longer serve Beirut International Airport (AIB), it operates on average, per day, 36 flights departing and 36 arriving flights, and transported 130,000 passengers, including 110,000 departures and 20,000 arrivals.
The president of the Union of Travel Agency Owners, Jean Abboud, based on data provided by the airport, agrees with this. He thus indicates to Ici Beirut that some 30 planes from the MEA, the only one to serve Lebanon, take off on average per day from Beirut with no less than 150 passengers each on board… Which means that around 4,000 to 4,500 Lebanese and foreigners are leaving the country every day since the exacerbation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The main destinations for Lebanese people are Canada and Europe. “They will find cousins, brothers, sisters or simply their children,” he explains.
Women and children often go to find the father of the family who works in Arab countries, such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, or in Africa. “Many families flew to Iraq, too,” he notes.
Nevertheless, the number one destination remains Turkey, assures Mr. Abboud. Indeed, the Lebanese national company operates three to four daily flights to Istanbul. According to him, not all of them stay in Türkiye and continue towards the American continent, Europe or the Far East, with Atatürk airport serving many capitals. He notes that the planes are crowded on departure from Beirut, but very sparsely occupied on arrival.
As for departures by land, no figures are yet available.
As for departures by sea, the figures are not clear. We only know that departures are planned three times a week from the port of Tripoli and that yachts shuttle between Lebanon and Cyprus from Dbayeh or Jounieh. However, prices remain exorbitant, ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 to reach Larnaca, Cyprus.
It should be remembered in this context that in 2006, during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, around 916,000 people were displaced within Lebanon, compared to more than a million in 2024, according to official figures, and 220,000 left the country, according to a report established by the High Relief Committee.
In 2006, the war caused a major humanitarian crisis. Many Lebanese had taken refuge abroad. The exact numbers may vary between sources, but they were significant. Those of 2024 promise to be just as important!
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