Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
Four-year-old Jamaican Georgia Hado is stuck in Lebanon with other Jamaicans. - CONTRIBUTED
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE DISTRAUGHT Lebanese father of a four-year-old Jamaican boy pleaded with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday for their intervention in getting his son out of the war-torn Middle East country of Lebanon.
Young Georgia Hado, a student of Hopefield Preparatory in St. Andrew, is among the thousands of persons trapped in Lebanon since Israel began bombing the Middle East state, six days ago.
His father, Bassilios Hado, owner of the Chez Maria, a Lebanese restaurant in St. Andrew, told The Gleaner he has been trying to get the Foreign Affairs Ministry to assist him, but that they say they have not been able to make contact with Jamaica's Honorary Consul in Lebanon, Khalil Zantout.
"I have been asking the ministry to approach the British Government to help my son to get out of the area, owing to the fact that he is a citizen of the Commonwealth, but the ministry do not seem to understand," Mr. Hado said. "Because it is not affecting them personally, they (the ministry) do not understand."
The four-year-old is not the only Jamaican stranded in Lebanon, as The Gleaner has learnt, Leila Younis, wife of Kingston, businessman Sameer Younis, is also in that country.
So are young Hado's grandparents, Maria and George, who are Lebanese nationals who live in Jamaica. The youngster departed the island three weeks ago for Beirut with them. Since the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the militant Shia movement, Hezbollah, the youngster has reportedly been moving from town to town in search of safety.
BOMBING GETTING CLOSER
He said the bombing is getting closer to the areas of safety and his fear is further compounded by the fact that the country is without basic necessities such as drinking water, milk, flour, gasolene and medicine.
"I am able to reach him by phone every other day, but it has been very difficult," said the father.
Senator Delano Franklyn, State Minister in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said he was not in a position to comment on Mr. Hado's case, having no information at hand. However, he said he was aware that Jamaica's honorary consul had been trying his best to assist Jamaicans there (in Lebanon).
"Jamaicans wishing to leave Lebanon were being taken to Syria, as far as I know," Mr. Franklyn told The Gleaner.
He was not able to confirm how many Jamaicans were living in the Middle East country.
