According to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the only thing currently uniting the Lebanese is the threat of war.
Mikati made these remarks during meetings held on Tuesday at the Grand Serail, in preparation for the Cabinet meeting which will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) to “discuss in detail the measures and procedures linked to the national emergency plan (in the event of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah) and the Syrian refugee dossier.”
Mikati also praised “the initiatives undertaken by civil society to take in displaced Lebanese,” mainly from the regions of southern Lebanon, as a result of the war that has been raging there since October 8, 2023.
Support From the International Community
In this context, the caretaker Prime Minister urged the international community and international organizations to support Lebanon in these difficult times, all the more so as it is subject to “very heavy burdens as a result of the displacement of Syrians” on its territory since the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011.
Mikati conveyed this request to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, with whom he met in the presence of the caretaker Minister of the Environment, Nasser Yassin, who is also coordinator of the National Emergency Committee.
At the end of the meeting, Yassin declared, “The aim of the meeting was to follow up on the international organizations’ assistance to Lebanon in order to be able to continue the government’s work. Subsequent meetings will be held with a number of representatives from donor countries,” Yassine added.
