The aim is to support humanitarian work in Lebanon, within the framework of the Saudi-French partnership…reports Asian Lite News
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action (KSrelief) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Agency for Development (AFD), with the aim of supporting humanitarian work in Lebanon, within the framework of the Saudi-French partnership.
The memorandum was signed by the Director of the Branches Department at KSrelief, Mubarak bin Saeed Al-Dossari; the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Mrs. Anne Griot, to represent the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the AFD Director in Lebanon, Gilles Gran-Pierre.
The deal will include, during the first phase, the provision of urgent humanitarian and relief support to the Republic of Lebanon in the areas of food, nutrition and health, where the Kingdom will make a contribution of 36,000,000 euros, while the French side will commit to making a similar contribution within the framework of the partnership between the two sides, bringing the total to 72 million euros provided by the two countries.
This comes as an extension of the keenness of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to stand with the fraternal Lebanese people and contribute to achieving their stability and development, and helping the needy among its people, to overcome this crisis that Lebanon is going through.
Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have called for continuous international support for Lebanon and the refugees and migrants hosted in the country, according to a joint press release they sent to Xinhua news agency.
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The appeal by the two UN agencies on Sunday came a day after a boat reportedly carrying 84 people capsized off the coast of Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli, killing at least six, including a 40-day-old baby, according to the press release.
“The tragic event underscores the shockingly high risks that many people are resorting to out of desperation … It is crucial that continuous support is mobilised to help Lebanon as living conditions worsen for refugees and Lebanese alike,” said Ayaki Ito, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon.
For his part, Mathieu Luciano, Head of IOM Lebanon, warned that Lebanon’s economic crisis has triggered one of the largest waves of migration in the country’s history.
“Driven by increasingly desperate economic circumstances, a growing number of people are leaving Lebanon through unsafe means. Safe and legal alternatives to irregular migration are urgently needed, including support to local livelihoods and improved access to services in communities at risk,” he said.