May 26, 2021

DAILY NEWS

Deputy UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Briefing
Yesterday Najat Rochdi, Deputy UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, briefed the UN Security Council’s Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security on Lebanon’s state of crisis and the effect it is having on women. She urged that in order for recovery efforts in Lebanon to be sustainable, they must be inclusive of women. Rochdi further recognized the prominent role of women both in protests and political movements, and local peacebuilding and mediation efforts. [Naharnet]

S&P Global Report Says Bail-In for Depositors Likely
In a new report S&P Global said there is likely to be a “bail-in” for Lebanese bank depositors in order for the banking sector to absorb the costs of financial restructuring. This might look like paying depositors below-market exchange rates or converting their deposits into equity, the report said. [Al Arabiya] On Monday central bank governor Riad Salameh said depositors’ money was safe and announced a plan that would release $50,000 per deposited in June. [Reuters]

Nasrallah Comments on Aggression in Jerusalem
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah gave a televised speech yesterday, his first since a ceasefire was called between Israel and Hamas last week. He commented on hostilities in Jerusalem and said that any aggression on Jerusalem’s holy sites would mean regional war. [Reuters]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Bring the Planners Back! Displacement-Triggered Patterns of Urbanization and City Responses
Mona Fawaz, Mona Harb, Carla Al-Hage
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies

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.