The Lebanese Navy carried out rescue operations on Saturday after a boat transporting migrants capsized.
The Lebanese Army stated, “The Naval Forces, in cooperation with UNIFIL, finished rescuing the 232 people on board the boat off Selaata beach, and they are currently being transferred to the port of Tripoli. The bodies of two people who drowned during the rescue operation were also recovered.”
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated, “UNIFIL Maritime Task Force is assisting Lebanese Navy in search and rescue operation at sea between Beirut & Tripoli where a boat in distress with a large number of people on board was found. Our Indonesian and Greek ships are on the scene.”
The boat was carrying people trying to illegally cross Lebanese territorial waters.
The World Bank says that the Lebanese financial crisis is among the worst in the world according to the Spring 2021 Lebanon Economic Monitor.