Mass evacuation from Lebanon gathers pace

Larnaca (Cyprus), Jul 22: Ships and aircraft worked through the night into today scooping more tired and scared people from war-ravaged Lebanon and bringing them to safety in Cyprus and Turkey.

The Pentagon said 4,400 Americans had escaped from Lebanon yesterday by sea and air, the largest single day total to date in the operation to save foreign nationals trapped in the relentless cross-fire between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.

France said it had evacuated 3,000 of its nationals so far from Lebanon. Around 2,000 have already been flown back to Paris on specially chartered flights.

''In the next couple of days we are really going to start moving a lot of people through here,'' said Australia's High Commissioner in Cyprus, Garth Hunt.

''As far as we concerned, nobody should have to fend for themselves,'' he said after welcoming ashore nearly 350 Australians transported to the Cypriot port of Larnaca by a Maltese catamaran contracted by the Canberra government.

Evacuees described scenes of mayhem and desperation back in Lebanon, where many had been holidaying or visiting family when the Israeli rockets began falling 11 days ago.

''We were worried we would be stuck there for a long time.

There were no ports, no airports working, there was no way out of Lebanon,'' said Ramon Jerbat from Victoria, Australia.

''There were lots of rumours the Israelis were going to bomb the electric company, so we thought there would be no power, no water. And we have got kids. It is really awful.'' The amphibious transport USS Trenton, the biggest ship so far involved in the evacuation, was due to deposit nearly 2,000 people at Larnaca in the early hours of Saturday.

TURKISH HELP

Cyprus, a holiday island with a population of less than one million and limited infrastructure, is struggling to deal with the crisis and yesterday renewed its appeal for more help from its European Union partners.

Finland, holder of the EU's rotating presidency, pledged emergency aid and aircraft to help transfer evacuees.

Help has also come from Cyprus's arch rival Turkey, which threw open its Mediterranean port of Mersin to take in Canadian, American and Swedish evacuees.

Locked in a decades-old diplomatic row, Turkey and the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government of Cyprus have no diplomatic relations.

''We are working at a capacity of about 1,000 people a day,'' Canadian ambassador to Ankara Yves Brodeur told Reuters.

Evacuees plucked from Lebanon by US naval vessels and helicopters praised their rescuers' efficiency and kindness.

''I have to say everyone in the navy was incredible. They gave so much more than we expected. They carried our luggage, they gave us food, they did everything for us,'' said Rosana Ayoub, 22, a medical student from California.

The Pentagon said eight of nine US ships slated to take part in the evacuation were now on the scene, including the helicopter carrier Iwo Jima, which might take on passengers in coming days.

Ships from Britain, Greece, Italy and other countries are also transporting evacuees across the narrow stretch of water separating Lebanon from Cyprus.

About 1,000 Americans were taken to a massive ''camp-bed city'' set up on a fairground in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia.

Many were angry at not being told how long they would stay.

''They told me we might be able to leave tomorrow, or perhaps in a week,'' said Nejat Salah, a 37-year-old photographer from Los Angeles who held her daughter by the hand.

''If it's going to be like this here in Cyprus, perhaps I should start looking for a way to go back to Lebanon.''

REUTERS