Canadians Prepare for Evacuation via Cyprus

The governments of Canada and Cyprus have coordinated emergency evacuation procedures to protect citizens in the event of life-threatening situations stemming from the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

According to Agence France-Presse, the Canadian Armed Forces have preemptively stationed resources in Cyprus to facilitate the rapid evacuation of Canadian citizens should commercial flights become unavailable.

The evacuation agreement, detailed on the Canadian government’s website, was signed by the foreign ministers of Canada and Cyprus on August 6th.

Cyprus’s Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, stated that the country is fully prepared to activate the Estia evacuation plan at a moment’s notice, taking all necessary measures if the evacuation of citizens from Lebanon becomes required.

The procedures for evacuating Canadians through Cyprus were outlined in a letter sent to Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly.

According to reports from Cyprus Post, preparations have been made to accommodate evacuees in schools across Larnaca, with beds and toiletries already in place.

"All necessary measures are being taken to ensure adequate accommodations and to strengthen our capacity to provide temporary housing until citizens can return to their home countries," said Constantinos Kombos.

When asked how many people Cyprus could host, Kombos noted that during a similar situation in 2006, the country accommodated up to 60,000 people.

On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged all Canadians in Lebanon to leave immediately, citing the increasingly dangerous situation in the Middle East. Estimates suggest that around 20,000 Canadians are currently in Lebanon.

Additionally, the U.S. government has warned of a potential major attack by Iran on Israel this week in retaliation for the assassination of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31st.