Tuesday, 27 May 2013
I just had a good meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on developments in Lebanon and in the region.
We discussed issues related to security and stability in Lebanon. I expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Lebanese army, the security authorities and the caretaker Prime Minister himself in trying to calm down and contain the security situation in Tripoli. I would also like to take this opportunity to condemn on behalf of the United Nations the rocket attack on the suburbs of Beirut yesterday morning. I hope that the security authorities will soon identify those responsible for this criminal act.
I will not speak on other security issues. The United Nations Secretary-General issued a statement last night on the incidents in Syria and its impact here. But I will repeat here one core point which I discussed with the Prime Minister which is the wisdom that Lebanon’s Government, people and leaders showed when they adopted the policy of disassociation and the Baabda Declaration, and our hope that all concerned will now reflect again on just how important these are for keeping Lebanon safe from conflict.
Finally, we discussed the needs of the Syrian refugees and our joint assistance in that regard. I reiterated the UN’s strong appreciation for Lebanon’s efforts but also those of donors to support the Syrian refugees. Some 88 per cent of the United Nations appeal for assistance for Lebanon for the present six month period has now been disbursed, which is a major achievement. But the number of refugees is of course greatly in excess of the estimate when the appeal was made in January. We are working now with the Government of Lebanon on a joint appeal for Lebanon to cover the next six months from June in order to meet the needs of the Syrian refugees but also of the Lebanese communities hosting them and we hope for a positive response from the international community.
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