DAILY NEWS
KSA and France to Establish Joint Support For Lebanese People
During talks between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris, the two governments agreed on financing several humanitarian projects in Lebanon, which includes offering direct support to non-governmental organizations in the relief and public aid sectors, especially targeting hospitals and primary health care centers. [Reuters]
Ukrainian Ambassador Thanks Lebanon For Support, Russian Ambassador: FM Statement ‘Won’t Affect Relations’
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Lebanon Ihor Ostash said in a press conference, “From all my heart, I thank the Lebanese government and its people for standing behind us . . . We are receiving many support messages on our social media pages from Lebanese people showing their support to us in our war.” [L’Orient Today] Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov has said that the statement issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “does not take into consideration the cordial and historic bilateral relations between the two countries. . . . It will not affect our relation . . . During the difficult days, we know who is with us and who is against us.” [Naharnet]
Hundreds of Lebanese Students Stranded in Ukraine
Hundreds of Lebanese students studying in Ukraine – who are among the more than 10,000 students from the Arab world – are now caught in the middle of the Russian invasion. According to France 24, “1,300 Lebanese students were studying in the country [before the invasion]. Half managed to flee by their own means, but the rest are stuck.” Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said that planes will be sent to neighboring Poland and Romania at a date to be announced later. [France 24]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Middle East Institute
Data Shows Nowhere In Syria Is Safe For Return
Ashley Jordan, Samy Akil, Karam Shaar
Jordan et al. writes, “All host countries should end the use of force, coercion, and incentives to drive Syrians back to Syria before it is safe, especially while there is a near complete absence of monitoring and safeguarding measures. The fundamental principle of non-refoulement as established in the 1951 Refugee Convention should hold firm at the core of all stakeholder policies, and the categorization of any area as “safe” should not be determined solely on the basis of whether or not military operations are being carried out there. Syrians are subject to many types of risks and violations, as our research shows; these can be both explicit and implicit, and based on varied factors including political affiliations, area of origin, religion, gender, tribe, and more.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.