Arab News | PM appeals for help at UN to ‘rebuild lives’ in devastated southern Lebanon

LONDON: Israel’s war with Hezbollah has left a “vast humanitarian crisis” in Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the UN General Assembly on Friday as he appealed to the international community to help fund his country’s recovery.

An Israeli bombing and ground offensive launched soon after the start of the Iran war devastated southern Lebanon, killing thousands of people, sparking a mass exodus and costing the country billions of dollars in damages and losses.

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, Salam delivered a sobering summary of the impact of the conflict and Lebanon’s path to recovery.

He repeated calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon and for all weapons in the country to fall under the control of the state rather than militias such as Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran.

“The war has left behind a vast humanitarian crisis in Lebanon,” Salam said. “It has caused extensive destruction to housing, public facilities, infrastructure and productive sectors, and has deprived large numbers of Lebanese of their homes and livelihoods.”

He thanked the UN and nations that had provided humanitarian support, but called for “continued funding to meet the basic needs of those affected, particularly the displaced.”

Salam said support is also needed to help with the early stages of recovery, reconstruction and development.

“The reconstruction of the south isn’t merely the rebuilding of stone, it’s the rebuilding of people’s lives, the restoration of their livelihoods, and affirmation of the right to live in safety and dignity on their land,” he added.

Lebanon was dragged into the wider Iran conflict days after the US and Israel started bombing raids against Tehran on Feb. 28.

Hezbollah responded by launching attacks on Israel in support of Iran, leading to a large-scale Israeli military operation against Lebanon, focused on Hezbollah strongholds in the south and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

More than 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since the fighting started, and the UN estimates that more than 300,000 people remain displaced by the fighting.

Israel also invaded southern Lebanon, seizing a swath of land about 10 km across the border, which amounts to about 5 percent of Lebanese territory.

Salam said last week that the World Bank estimated the cost of the conflict so far to be between $3 billion and $4 billion.

US-brokered talks led to a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon in June, under which Hezbollah would disarm while Israeli forces withdrew in stages from the areas they occupy. The Lebanese Armed Forces would then deploy across the area.

Progress on implementing the agreement has stalled, and Salam called for a “clear timetable and verification mechanism” to ensure the framework is implemented. He said Lebanon wants the ceasefire to be consolidated and for the war to end.

“We want the release of all our detainees, the safe and dignified return of our people to their villages and towns, and the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed,” he added.

Salam placed the recovery of territory from Israel among three “existential challenges” that faced his government when he took office.

The other two were regaining the trust of the Lebanese people after the country’s financial collapse and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, and reclaiming national decision making.

Salam has spent time in New York this week galvanizing support for the continued presence of an international military force in southern Lebanon after UN peacekeepers end their mission there.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon is scheduled to start winding down its presence at the end of the year, and Salam warned that its departure would create a vacuum unless an alternative is put in place.

He said the work of a new international force could complement the framework agreement with Israel and continue UNIFIL’s work monitoring and reporting on a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.