UAE announces travel ban to Lebanon

Abu Dhabi: The UAE  Ministry of Foreign Affairs has banned travel to Lebanon for Emirati citizens, advising them not to travel to the country due to the current security situation.

The ban on travel to Lebanon is aimed to protect the safety and well-being of UAE citizens in light of the current situation in the country.

In the event of emergencies, UAE citizens are urged to contact the designated hotline, 0097180024. Furthermore, they are encouraged to register for the 'Twajudi' service, a consular service provided by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at assisting nationals abroad.

The UAE's ban on travel to Lebanon follows similar bans issued by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. These countries have all urged their citizens to exercise caution in light of recent clashes in the Ain El Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. The clashes have led to heightened travel warnings for the region.

Tragically, recent fighting in the camp, which began on July 29, has resulted in the death of at least 13 individuals, with the majority being militants. The dispute was primarily between the mainstream Fatah faction and extremist hard-liners.

Ain El Hilweh is one of the most significant among the 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon. It accommodates roughly 80,000 of the estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees in the country, as per data from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.