Speaking to the from the airport in Beirut, university student Amal said she loved Lebanon and was “very upset” at having to leave.
“Right now there is no way we can stay. The noises, the situation, is just getting very traumatising so we have no choice,” she said.
Amal, who was born in Surrey and has lived in Lebanon for five years, said she and her sisters planned to reunite with family in West Sussex.
“We’re just going to stay hopeful that it’s not going to be for long and we’re going to come back to our precious country.”
Her sister Yasmine, who is still in school, said she would have never imagined leaving, but the situation required it.
As of last week, there were thought to be between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including dependants, in Lebanon.
The chartered flight leaving Beirut on Wednesday will only be able to take a fraction of them, raising questions about whether additional flights will be needed
