Emergency numbers and help in Lebanon

The numbers

• The UK and Canada publish the same three numbers, which is as good a cross-check as this kind of fact gets.
• 112 is the general emergency number the FCDO points British nationals to on its main Lebanon page.
• 140 is the number for an ambulance, and 175 is also who you call about a forest fire.

Consular help

• British nationals needing urgent help in Lebanon, for example after an attack, an arrest or a death, call +961 (0)1 960 800. The British Embassy in Beirut is operating as normal.
• From the UK, the FCDO's 24 hour line about someone abroad is 020 7008 5000.
• Canadians call the nearest office in business hours, or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at any time. The Canadian embassy is on the Jal El Dib highway, north of the city.

Before you need them

• Save all three numbers, plus your embassy and your insurer, offline on the handset. Power cuts and network problems are ordinary events here.
• Call the insurer as soon as you are referred to a hospital, because the deposit is asked for at the door.
• If the airport roads are closed and you are at the airport, stay there until the authorities say the access roads are open.