Australians stranded in Lebanon
Hundreds of Australian citizens hoping to flee Lebanon were left stranded after a Greek navy ship was forced to sail without them, the foreign minister said in Sydney today.
It was the latest embarrassment for the Australian government, which has come under increasing criticism for allegedly failing to provide adequate help for thousands of its citizens trapped in Lebanon.
About 200 Australians were stranded on the docks in Beirut overnight, after the ship that had been enlisted to evacuate them to Cyprus was forced to leave without them.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Israel had set a deadline for the ship’s departure, and had refused to guarantee its safety after that time.
Meanwhile, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her government was working to evacuate some of the 30,000 Filipinos trapped in Lebanon.
Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Gilbert Asuques said the first batch of 200 Filipinos was on its way to Damascus, from where they will be flown back to Manila.
