On 27 October 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a Security alert, which reads in part as follows: ” The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation. Please see available flight options at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.
“You should have a plan of action for crisis situations that does not rely on U.S. government assistance. The best time to leave a country is before a crisis if at all possible. U.S. military-assisted evacuations of civilians from a foreign country are rare. There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation. In the event that a U.S. military-assisted evacuation does occur, our focus will be on helping U.S. citizens. The U.S. government generally cannot provide in-country transportation during a crisis. That includes transportation to points of departure. You will not be able to bring pets with you on any U.S. military-assisted evacuation from Lebanon. You will have to sign a promissory note to reimburse the U.S. government for costs incurred in the case of an assisted evacuation. For more information, please read What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.”
The full text of the alert can be found here.
