32 Rescued after UNIFIL Locates Missing Boat between Cyprus and Lebanon

The Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) participated in a search and rescue operation at sea after receiving reports on Wednesday of a missing boat off the coast of Lebanon, the U.N. force said on Friday.

“UNIFIL was informed that a small boat, allegedly heading towards Cyprus, was missing. UNIFIL tasked its Maritime Force to locate the missing vessel. On 11 October at 1130 hrs, UNIFIL’s flagship, BRS Liberal, found a small white boat northwest of Beirut in the area of responsibility of Rescue Coordinator Center Beirut,” a UNIFIL statement said.

“There were 32 passengers on board: 19 men, six women and seven children. The boat was out of fuel and the passengers had been without food and water for four days. While waiting for the Lebanese Navy to arrive, UNIFIL naval peacekeepers distributed water and food, and provided medical assistance,” it added.

“After the Lebanese Navy arrived at the scene, the passengers were able to board the Lebanese patrol boats and arrived at Beirut port at 0145 hrs on Friday 12 October, escorted by UNIFIL,” UNIFIL said.

In a statement, the Lebanese Army said the boat was carrying 32 Syrian and Lebanese citizens.

“They were heading towards Cyprus illegally,” the army confirmed, noting that the boat was intercepted by UNIFIL off the city of Tripoli and outside the Lebanese territorial waters.

“Crews from the Military Healthcare and the Lebanese Red Cross examined them and investigations got underway under the supervision of the relevant judicial authorities,” the army added.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil had warned the international community in an interview overnight Thursday that the displaced Syrians in Lebanon have started heading by sea to Cyprus.

The United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) has registered nearly one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Humanitarian representatives and government officials say the number is likely much higher, since many Syrians who have fled to Lebanon are not officially registered with the United Nations.

In September, EU member Cyprus announced it was looking to broker a repatriation agreement with Lebanon because of an increased influx of migrants from the nearby country.

Cyprus Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said his country faces one of the largest migratory flows per capita, with 4,022 asylum requests in the first eight months of 2018 -- 55 percent more than in the same period last year.