UNHCR and IOM call for continuous support for Lebanon in hosting refugees after deadly boat crash
April 25, 2022, 6:52 am

UNHCR and IOM call for continuous support for Lebanon in hosting refugees after deadly boat crash

Lebanon-Armenian street/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, according to a joint press release, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Sunday (Apr 24) called for continuous international support for Lebanon and the refugees and migrants hosted in the country.

According to the press release, the appeal by the two UN agencies 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.

Ayaki Ito, UNHCR representative in Lebanon, said: "The tragic event underscores the shockingly high risks that many people are resorting to out of desperation ... It is crucial that continuous support is mobilized to help Lebanon as living conditions worsen for refugees and Lebanese alike."

UNHCR and the IOM on Sunday (Apr 24) called for continuous international support for Lebanon and the refugees and migrants hosted in the country (Photo: Pixabay)

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.

UNICEF: Lebanon's economic crisis severely affecting children's health

He said: "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."

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.