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A lot has happened today. If you're just coming to this page now, here are the key updates:

Anand said Canadians in the Middle East should register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service if they haven't done so already. She said the government uses the free service to notify Canadians abroad about emergencies in their location or those at home.

Canadians who are looking for help to leave the region can also call 613-996-8885 or email SOS@international.gc.ca.

In response to a question about charter flights for citizens out of U.A.E., Anand said Canada is hoping to confirm the contracts in the next 72 hours. 

"The key upshot of this update is that we have three specific options that we are sourcing for Canadians," the minister said. "The availability of those options will largely depend on the particular country [Canadians are currently in.]"

Anand said Canadians in the Middle East should register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service if they haven't done so already. She said the government uses the free service to notify Canadians abroad about emergencies in their location or those at home.

Anand said there are no flights for the 93 Canadians requesting help in Israel. The country is running a bus service to take those citizens to Egypt, she said. 

There are 74 Canadians looking for help in Iran. The minister said there is no ability to arrange ground transportation because Canada doesn't have a diplomatic presence there.

"We have, however, stationed additional consular help in neighbouring countries who can meet Canadians and help with visa requirements if they can get to the border.

"Please only attempt to drive to the border when it is safe to do so," Anand said.

In Lebanon, around 164 Canadians have asked for assistance. Seventy-five were on the flight that left this morning, and there's room for 200 more in the coming days.

In Qatar, 237 Canadians are looking for help, Anand says. Airspace in the country is closed with no options to fly in or out, but Anand said Qatar Airlines is arranging bus transportation to take 200 Canadians with existing tickets to Saudi Arabia to catch a flight out.

"I do want to point out that any ground transportation carries risk," she noted. "Catching a bus with missiles flying overhead is terrifying."

Anand said she has personally made a request to the U.A.E. To use its airspace for charter flights to evacuate Canadians. 

More than half of the 2,035 Canadians who have asked for help leaving the region are in the U.A.E.

Anand confirms 75 Canadians left Beirut this morning on a commercial flight. She said roughly 85 per cent of the Canadians who have asked for help are in Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and the U.A.E.

She said there are three key options for Canadians looking to leave the region: a limited number of charter flights; block-booking on commercial flights; or ground transport services, when it's safe. 

She said 200 seats have been reserved for people to leave Beirut over the next three days.

Anand begins by thanking emergency staff at GAC who have been "working around the clock" to help Canadians in the Middle East. She said there are now 106,000 Canadians registered in the region, 2,035 of whom have asked for help to leave.

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