Salam calls for continued UN-backed international presence in south during meeting with Guterres
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN headquarters in New York, in the presence of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister Youssef Raggi and Lebanon’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ahmad Arafa.
Salam stressed the importance of maintaining an international presence under the auspices of the United Nations in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL’s mandate ends, to ensure the continuation of monitoring, reporting and liaison functions, help preserve stability, and support efforts to extend the Lebanese state’s authority across its entire territory.
The talks also addressed the humanitarian situation in Lebanon. Salam said around 329,000 people remain displaced, stressing the importance of continuing to mobilize funding for the humanitarian response and supporting UN agencies in assisting displaced people.
Salam also stressed the need to gradually shift from emergency response to supporting return and recovery by developing dedicated programs for returnees and those remaining in affected areas, in coordination with the Lebanese state and in line with efforts to support return, recovery and the restoration of essential services.
