SRI LANKA EMBASSY IN A MASSIVE
OPERATION TO MOVE
80,000 MIGRANT WORKERS OUT OF ISRAELI BOMBING ZONES
By Walter Jayawardhana
reporting from Los Angeles
The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon is handling a gigantic effort
of moving nearly 80,000 migrant workers employed in that country to
safer places, Sri Lanka foreign Ministry sources said.
The Sri Lanka Embassy was engaged in a massive operation in moving the
Sri Lankan migrant workers out of the endangered areas now being bombed
for the sixth day by Israeli jets the sources said.
The operation involved workers who were rushing to the embassy asking
for protection and also workers who in detention centers of the government
for visa violations who were being freely released without any conditions
so they could escape to safer places not harmed by Israeli jets.
The Sri lankan foreign Ministry said that there had been no report of
any Sri Lankan injured or killed by the Israeli bombing so far.
The Ministry has been keeping a round the clock watch in consultation
with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment on Lebanon . Colombo
has sent additional Bureau officials and allowed the embassy to recruit
local staff to beef up its services to assist Sri Lankans seeking its
help, the sources said. The embassy has sought Lebanese humanitarian
organizations to help, feed and shelter Sri Lankan migrant workers running
away from the bombs.
The embassy was hiring buses to transport those who needed help. The
embassy was trying to evacuate about 1500 endangered Sri Lankans from
an area called Hyda which was directly on the onslaught of the bombing.
There were many problems the embassy was facing to move these people
out. Not many drivers were willing to take their vehicles on hire to
this area. The other problem was roads and bridges have been destroyed
by the Israeli bombing in the area.
A Sinhalese nun called Sister Leela who has been caring for Sri Lankan
evacuees interviewed by the BBC’s Sandeshaya said yesterday the
Sri Lankan Embassy informed her that another bus load of 100 will be
arriving at her center for safety.
A foreign Ministry statement further said,” The Government is
in touch with authorities regarding further action on contingency planning
and for safety of Sri Lankans,” but did not describe what they
are.
The statement added, if the need arises, assistance will be obtained
from International Organisation for Migrants and other governments with
whom the Sri Lankan Government is in touch through diplomatic channels
for those who wish to return.
The statement also said, “The information and help desk will continue
to function at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SLBFE and Sri Lanka
Embassy in Beirut.”
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