Exodus from Lebanon to Cyprus peaks, EU offers help

LARNACA, Cyprus, July 22 (Reuters) Ships and aircraft scooped more exhausted people fleeing the fighting in Lebanon to safety in Cyprus today in a mass international effort that has so far evacuated more than 25,000 people.

The European Union dispatched a team to help Cyprus cope with the huge wave of foreign evacuees, which is stretching the small island's resources at the height of its tourist season.

''We expect the number to triple in the coming days. There are more than 60,000 to 70,000 to be evacuated through Cyprus,'' Foreign Minister Georgios Lillikas said, inspecting a French-chartered boat that brought in more than 1,200 people.

On the ship people were lying on sheets on the floor and long queues had formed outside the toilets. Many will have to stay in Cyprus for days before being sent home and the EU urged its members to help process evacuees faster.

Turkey started to share Cyprus's burden and hundreds of evacuees, mostly Canadian and some Swedish citizens, have been arriving in the port of Mersin to the north of Cyprus, where they were welcomed with carnations.

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

The number of Americans in Cyprus grew as more evacuees came in today. Only a fraction was being sent home.

About 5,700 people were coming in on seven US ships today and the early hours tomorrow and only 1,600 of those would be flown out, officials said. About 2,300 were staying at a makeshift camp set up in fairgrounds in the capital Nicosia.

''There are still ships coming,'' a US State Department media official, who declined to be named, said. ''It may not be at the same rate as a few days ago, but we are still receiving a lot of passengers.'' ARRIVALS PEAK The amphibious transport USS Trenton, the biggest ship so far involved in the evacuation, docked at the Cypriot port of Limassol with some 1,800 people while the USS Nashville arrived later today with another 1,000.

Evacuees described scenes of mayhem in Lebanon, where many had been holidaying or visiting family when Israel started bombing 11 days ago.

''I was at my club playing tennis and suddenly heard shelling over my head,'' Eddy Munzer, 66, a retired lawyer from Florida, said. ''The situation is so uncertain, I don't see any bright future in the short term.'' Britain gave its citizens until evening today to gather in Beirut for the last scheduled evacuation by sea. A ship with British evacuees was expected in Cyprus early tomorrow.

Chartered ships also were expected to bring 500 Australians, 1,100 Canadians and 400 Swiss to Larnaca late today.

As people escaped the violence, aid poured in. The EU pledged to send medicine, shelter material and other supplies.

France sent 20 tonnes of water, food and medicines, and was dispatching a water purifying plant today.

Officials said the French humanitarian agency Medecins Sans Frontieres planned to send 60 tonnes of emergency aid through Cyprus to Lebanon.

Eleni Theocharous, a doctor with the Doctors of the World aid agency escorting 4,000 tonnes of medical and other supplies to Lebanon, said: ''We are going there to help those who don't have the opportunity to leave the country. For example, Palestinians who have no documents are stranded and need help.'' Reuters MQA VP0005