Faith Amid the Firing Line: Indonesian Expats Stand Firm in Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the village of Khiam, southern Lebanon near the border on May 7, 2024. (AFP)

THE MINISTRY of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemlu RI) stated that at least 116 Indonesian citizens (WNI) were still in Lebanon after a number of waves of evacuated Indonesian citizens arrived in their homeland.

“There are 116 who are still in Lebanon at this time,” said the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and BHI at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, when contacted. Indonesian MediaMonday (7/10/2024).

Since the establishment of Alert 1, the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has succeeded in evacuating 25 Indonesian citizens and today as many as 40 Indonesian citizens and one foreigner will arrive on two flights at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Banten.

Also read: 116 Indonesian citizens in Lebanon, Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks not to delay evacuation

Meanwhile, the majority of other Indonesian citizens chose to remain in Lebanon based on various personal considerations.

“The majority of them chose to remain in Lebanon,” he added.

Previously, regarding today’s repatriation process, Monday (7/10), Judha said that the fourth wave of evacuation, which brought 20 of the 40 Indonesian citizens and 1 foreign national, departed on October 6 at 18.10 local time (or 22.10 WIB) and arrived at Jakarta on October 7 at 15.40 WIB using the Emirates EK 356 aircraft.

Also read: Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that the process of evacuating Indonesian citizens in Lebanon is currently underway

Then, the fifth wave, consisting of 20 Indonesian citizens and 1 foreign citizen, took off on October 6 at 14.00 local time (or 18.00 WIB) and arrived in Jakarta on October 7 2024 at 7.40 WIB, using aircraft with flight number QR 958.

“The fifth wave evacuees Beirut arrived first of the fourth wave,” he said.

Judha added that 65 Indonesian citizens in Lebanon had been successfully evacuated in several waves of departure until October 2024 after the security situation in Lebanon worsened due to increasing tensions in the Middle East region.

Also read: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TNI Discuss Plans to Evacuate Indonesian Citizens from Lebanon

A total of 25 Indonesian citizens who departed in the first three waves in August 2024 have arrived safely in Indonesia.

After the evacuation of 25 Indonesian citizens in August, Judha said there were still 116 Indonesian citizens in Lebanon, most of whom, or as many as 83, were in Beirut.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut are intensifying communication with Indonesian citizens still remaining in Lebanon to ask them to immediately evacuate to their homeland for their own safety.

After this communication, the number of Indonesian citizens willing to participate in the evacuation increased from previously only 6 people to 40 people. (Fer/P-3)