is beirut safe?

Z

z106

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I've a good chance of being offered a 2-3 month contract in beirut.

Does anyone knwo if it's safe?

Has anyone been to beirut?

What's it like?
 
Er...Maybe not all that safe..
One of my friends escaped from there recently (earlier this month). He had been working as a contractor. While he was there, Hezbollah shut down the airports in Beruit, gun fire/rockets etc everywhere, and he had to escape through Syria after several uncomfortable days being unable to exit the country.
Was a worrying experience.
Apart from that, on previous visits he really seemed to enjoy himself!
Nicola
 
Ya - there was a bit of commotion there a couple of weeks back alright.

Going by what i've read it all seems hunky dory again though and for the forseeable future is it not?
 
The NZ government is , and the advice is current as of today.


Don't know if is any help to you or not, but have a read anyway.


I would love to go myself, it is supposed to be just beautiful, but shakey politics and bombs are no fun at all, to put it mildly. Guess it depends on how adventurous you're feeling versus how much you like your ass the way it is!
 
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has [broken link removed] to say...
We strongly advise against all but essential travel to Lebanon at this time because of the volatile security situation.

Political tensions in Lebanon remain high as evidenced by over ten fatal bomb attacks in the last year in Beirut and elsewhere, as well as violent clashes between demonstrators in recent weeks. If, against our advice, you decide to travel to Lebanon you should exercise due caution and a high level of vigilence at all times in public places, avoid military sites, Palestinian refugee camps and non-official border areas and make contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Consulate or the Embassy for further advice and registration. It is recommended that you continue to monitor this travel advice for updates.

Irish citizens are advised against all travel to areas south of the Litani River.

Unexploded ordnance, particularly in the South, and in the Bekaa Valley, also presents a risk.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry, off-topic a bit but I think I got an email about the same job yesterday (not looking for a job BTW), telecoms, based in Galway and Beirut (which really caught my eye!!).

Even if I was looking, my wife said No, in no uncertain terms!

Just wondering are they paying danger money? SOunds like you would need it.
 
This probably sounds like bravado, although it isn't intended to be that way. But Beirut is probably safer than Dublin in many ways. Street crime is virtually unheard of, and the threat from terrorist attack is no higher than London or New York.

As an Irish person, you would be highly regarded by most locals, who respect the Irish. For a three month contract, it's worth it for the experience alone. It is actually a beautiful, suave kind of a city. I'd go for it, depending upon which part of the city they'll put you up in.
 
ClubMan said:
Do you think that the Department of Foreign Affairs are telling porkies so?
Click to expand...


The Dept of Foreign Affairs, like all governments, will inevitably venture on the side of over-caution when it comes to travel advisory. They routinely issue warnings for the USA, Turkey, Jamaica, Brazil, South Africa, Bali, China, indeed all sorts of countries that are generally perfectly safe, but have been in the media for the wrong reason at some point or other.

I can tell you it is safer in most respects than my home city of Dublin.
 
Why the sneering? I'm just trying to give the OP my honest opinion.
 
It is worth noting that some travel insurance policies are not valid it you travel to a country where travel is officially advised against - I'd check that

Having said that I'm inclined to agree with Ghodadaba that in many cases official warnings are over cautious .. I believe for example Indonesia was just removed from the US Department of State's official warning list http://uk.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUKJAK27799020080525

Never been to Beiruit but would love to (and Damascus too) ... though I think it's fair to say that Beiruit has been a bit hairy on a few occasions over the last 18 months or so.
 
I am in touch with people living in Beirut on a regular basis. They told me that all is returning to normal now after the election last Sunday. The resorts/hotels are getting booked up again for the summer. I think there will be always that small element of tension in Beirut that as a normal person you would not notice untill it becomes news. It is a really wonderful place with lovely restuarants, beaches etc. I find Bob Fisk very imformative about the policital situation in Beirut as he lives there.
 
Hi
Living in Middle East for past few years and traveled to most "dodgy" countries including Lebanon. Beirut is a fantastic place and relatively safe, there are lots of tanks and army with machine guns on the streets, I definitely felt safe there, alot safer than Dublin at night time I have to say. Saying that the area we stayed in was bombed a week after leaving but guess that could happen anywhere. Lebanese are great people, very welcoming and big party people.
Hope this helps.
 
Totally off point, but how disappointing that the UK government site spelt Ireland wrong...'There are confirmed cases of A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) in Irealand. ' tut tut
 
If you are in Limerick , move to Beiriut.
If you are in Bagdad, move to Limerick.
And if you are in Helmand, don't move or you will be shot.
 
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