On August 4, 2020, a devastating explosion occurred at the port of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Most of the port was almost razed, killing at least 217 people, injuring more than 6,000, and leaving more than 300,000 homeless. As a result, about 40,000 buildings were damaged and more than 70,000 people were unemployed. According to reports, large amounts of ammonium nitrate were stored near the explosion site.
Secretary-General Guterres addressed reporters including “UN News” in the Lebanese capital on December 20. He talked about his visit to the port and said that he could not calm down. “The suffering of the people, first of all, those who were killed, their families, and the wounded, have a huge impact on the lives of so many people, and of course it will resonate very deeply.”
On the other hand, the Secretary-General pointed out that he has been receiving information from many victims, demanding that “it is necessary to establish the truth and it is necessary to conduct an independent investigation in order to be able to draw the truth”.
Guterres said that he fully understands their concerns and hopes that the country’s institutions can ensure that the truth is revealed.
On the same day, he also wrote on his social media account: “A fair and transparent investigation of this tragic incident is essential to ensure justice. The Lebanese people deserve the truth.”
Worry about being forgotten
Despite the heavy rain, the Secretary-General went to Tripoli, a city in northern Lebanon that day. There, he visited the Lida Mixed School run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Fadi Al-Tayyar, the press officer of UNRWA, said in an interview with United Nations News that the Secretary-General’s visit was conducted under difficult circumstances in Lebanon and Palestine refugees, so it is very important. .
He said: “Palestinian refugees worry that they will be forgotten and that they will be marginalized.”
Tayar said that the Secretary-General’s visit will draw more people’s attention to the situation of Palestine refugees and that the United Nations is still actively responding to this issue.
He said: “All of us must find a solution to this problem. He came to this school, attended and met with these students, and sent the same message. There is no doubt that this will be an opportunity for them to give this The heads of international organizations express their feelings, their problems and their concerns.”
Hungry to sleep
At Lida School, Guterres met with child parliamentarians and their parents. They shared their daily concerns and problems as Palestine refugees in Lebanon.
The young Visam said that some parents were forced to let their children drop out of school because they could not afford the bus fare to send their children to school.
As for the young Palestine refugee Jamal, he was displaced from Syria because of the ongoing war. He said, “We often go to bed on an empty stomach because our parents cannot feed the family.”
Zaina pointed out the importance of the right to education for Palestine refugees. She said that education “is their only hope to change their lives.” She hopes that the Secretary-General will continue to protect this right.
Zaina said that she wanted to be an astronaut, but her family could not afford it.
Don’t lose hope
Guterres emphasized that he apologized for the situation faced by Palestinian children and parents, and he recognized the importance of children’s right to education and food. He said: “We are working hard to get more support for UNRWA to see if we can do everything we can for you, whether in schools or families.”
On the other hand, Guterres said that the United Nations is working hard to resume the peace process and hopes that Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully, which will help solve the problem of Palestine refugees. However, he also admitted that this is not an easy job, and emphasized the “importance of not losing hope” for a better tomorrow.
Repair the Mina River
In Tripoli, the Secretary-General also visited the restoration projects of the Mina River and the waterfront. The project was carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme and the International Labour Organization, funded by Germany, and implemented through a work-for-work and employment-intensive method.
In an interview with United Nations News, Iman Rafiyi, the director of Mina city government affairs, talked about the impact of the reconstruction of the Mina River on the residents of the city and the three positive results of the project. She pointed out that the first one was “in addition to hiring local Lebanese and many displaced Syrians, but also many women.”
As for the second one, she said that the restoration work will help promote tourism in the area, creating jobs again by strengthening the tourism sector and services such as restaurants and cafes.
Third, this project provides an incentive mechanism for people to visit the protected island adjacent to the city of Mina. Rafiyi said that this is very important for local development, because Mina, like most cities in Lebanon, is also plagued by economic and social crises, and it is one of the poorest cities on the Mediterranean coast.
Through the economic recovery project of UNDP and ILO, the coastal road and waterfront area have been repaired, and the most vulnerable Lebanese and displaced Syrians have been provided with about 48,000 days of job opportunities and about 1,200 jobs. Short-term job opportunities.
UNIFIL/Mohamad Hamza
Iman Rafiyi, director of government affairs for the city of Mina, Lebanon, is interviewed by UN News.
Progressively achieve credible elections
The Secretary-General also met with key Lebanese officials and politicians on the same day, including Speaker of the Parliament Nabi Berry and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
At a press conference held after the talks, the Secretary-General expressed his optimism. He said: “There is a clear guarantee that the election will be held before the constitutional date in early May. This means that Lebanon will create conditions for the election of parliament. , And hope to establish new political stability for the future.”
On the other hand, he expressed great admiration for the government’s work in preparing for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, saying that “a lot of technical work has been done.”
He said: “I am very happy that the UN team is fully supporting the government. I hope to create the necessary political conditions for formal negotiations as soon as possible. But it is encouraging that we see a lot of serious work going on.”
While expressing his deep sympathy for all the victims of the port, he also expressed his hope that the country will be able to not only rebuild the port, but also rebuild the economy, so as to create conditions for the prosperity and development of the Lebanese people.
Interreligious dialogue and women’s participation
The Secretary-General also met with religious leaders, who reaffirmed their commitment to the values of openness, tolerance and coexistence, which they believe are the core of Lebanon’s identity and stability.
Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining these values in a joint communiqué, believing that these values are the core of their beliefs, especially in this difficult period of financial and socio-economic crisis that severely affects everyone in Lebanon.
Participants expressed that they are determined to pay attention to how to unite the country and unite the people. They encourage their communities to do the same and adopt a dialogue approach to resolve differences in a spirit of consensus and unity.
When meeting with Lebanese women’s groups representing different tendencies and factions, the Secretary-General emphasized the importance of expanding the scope of participation of young men and women in the country’s political process, including young men and women, and expanding their representation. He pointed out that when he met with political leaders Emphasizes the importance of this issue.
He emphasized that comprehensive, timely, free, fair and transparent elections are the key to maintaining Lebanese democracy and ensuring that the voices of the Lebanese people, especially the younger generation and women, are heard.