Email to the Chairman of the Committee
from Kate Board, British Council,
received on 21 July 2006
Dear Mr Gapes,
I am writing to you, in your role as Chair of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, to brief you on the British Council
operation in Beirut and the welfare of our staff in these difficult
circumstances.
The British Council's office in Beirut has been
closed since Friday 14 July. All staff are safe and well. The
majority of locally engaged staff have left the centre of Beirut
and relocated to the mountainous areas. UK staff are all accounted
for and are in the process of being evacuated. A couple of members
of staff not in Lebanon when the bombing started have been accounted
for and are now in Cyprus. Acting Country Director Andrew Mackenzie
is working from within the Embassy along with nine British Council
contracted teachers who volunteered to help the Embassy deal with
the high volume of enquiries and requests for assistance. (Country
Director Amanda Burrell is currently working from the Council's
office in Cyprus as she was prevented from returning to Beirut
after annual leave on Friday). This arrangement is indicative
of the mutually supportive relationship between the Embassy and
the British Council in Lebanon, following the FCO's decision to
send a close protection team to provide safe conduct to a British
Council teacher stranded in the South of Lebanon after the outbreak
of air strikes.
The British Council's office building in Beirut
has been closed and secured, with the hard drive and key documents
moved to the Embassy for safekeeping. Emergency procedures are
being co-ordinated by a team in British Council headquarters in
London. Plans are in place and agreed with the Embassy for an
evacuation of the 30 individuals for whom the British Council
is responsible in Lebanon and our staff in Cyprus are on standby
to assist them on their arrival. From Cyprus they will then be
brought to the UK.
The British Council's office in Nazareth closed
on 18 July until further notice. The two locally-engaged members
of staff are both safe and well.
If you would like any further information I
can be contacted directly on the details below.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Board
Geographical Director
Europe, Americas, Middle East and North Africa
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