Lebanon receives 25 tonnes of medical aid from UN agency

Beirut, Oct 6 (IANS) Lebanon on Sunday afternoon received 25 tonnes of medical aid from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Attending the handover ceremony at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanese Minister of Public Health Firas Abiad called the aid "significant in light of this difficult situation that the hospital and health sector is going through."

"It gives us a positive response and allows our hospitals to continue while also benefiting the displaced who have health needs, whose number has reached 1.2 million," Abiad said.

UNICEF Representative in Lebanon Edouard Beigbeder stated at the ceremony that the agency's total aid will be 67 tonnes, "capable of serving 700,000 people who are exposed to several types of diseases."

Also on Sunday afternoon, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, meeting with visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, urged the latter to help resolve the crisis of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

"Thousands of Lebanese have become refugees in their homeland, and Lebanon is no longer able to bear the burdens of Syrian refugees," Mikati was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.

"The only solution to stop this suffering is an immediate ceasefire, stopping the Israeli aggression, and implementing Resolution 1701," he added, Xinhua news agency reported.

Grandi noted that the UNHCR has enhanced access to critical health treatments through 42 hospitals in the South and the Bekaa, supported displaced Lebanese with medical supplies and food commodities, and "will contribute cash assistance to about 200,000 people."

In a separate statement released earlier on Sunday, Mikati renewed Lebanon's support for a proposal by France in collaboration with the United States at a UN Security Council emergency meeting for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon "to allow for negotiations."

Mikati also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for criticizing the ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon and for calling for a halt to weapon supplies to Israel. Macron's recent remarks were also welcomed by Egypt on Sunday. Previously, the State of Palestine, Jordan, and Qatar have all expressed favor for Macron's position.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has intensified its airstrikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon, targetting key Hezbollah leaders, including the group's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah.

In addition, Israel has launched what it describes as a "limited" ground operation in Lebanon. These escalations have exacerbated ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting retaliatory fire and airstrikes by Israel in southeastern Lebanon.

--IANS

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