The fourth repatriation flight of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) took off from Lebanon this Friday (11) with 211 Brazilians and family members, including 12 infants. The aircraft should arrive in São Paulo on Saturday morning (12), after making a technical stopover in Portugal.
With this group, the federal government has so far rescued 885 people and 11 pets in one week of Operation Raízes do Cedro. A passenger had to stay in Lisbon, during the layover, after suspected thrombosis.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, around 10 people expressed interest in returning to Brazilian territory.
They arrived in Brazil last Sunday (6) and were received by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) at the São Paulo Air Base, in Guarulhos.
The Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, together with the Ministry of Health, Federal Police and Federal Revenue have been working to support passengers.
The government reiterated, in a note this Friday, the warning that Brazilians, who are still in Lebanon, follow the security guidelines of local authorities and, if possible, try to leave the territory by their own means. The estimate is that the Brazilian community in Lebanon is 20 thousand people.
Mauro Vieira said, in an interview with the “Good morning, Minister” program on Wednesday (9), that the operation in Lebanon has the potential to be even bigger than the one carried out last year in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, when around 1,560 Brazilians and family members, in addition to more than 50 domestic animals, were rescued.
“There is constant contact, a dialogue between the embassy and the Brazilian community. An email system, WhatsApp, brings together Brazilians in the region. There are around 20 thousand in Beirut, surrounding other cities in Lebanon and a large number expressed interest in returning”, said the minister.
