Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emanuela C. Del Re chaired today a meeting on the Lebanon emergency in a video conference with representatives of Italian civil society organizations (CSOs). The meeting took stock of the response to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon following the tragic explosion in the port of Beirut on the 4th. Also, it acquired contributions and ideas from CSOs regarding the timing and methods of Italian support for the international emergency response plan and, more generally, for the next initiatives of the Italian humanitarian and development strategy in Lebanon.
Vice Minister Del Re welcomed the work of the DGCS, the AICS, and the CSOs. “The CSOs – she said – are key elements of the Italian cooperation system. Their contribution to the Italian response to the Lebanon emergency is an added value for us,” said the Vice Minister. “This postulates the need for Italian CSOs in Lebanon to further increase the already significant coordination on the ground by making critical mass”, said Del Re. He added: “The latest serious emergency in Beirut must not overshadow the needs of the most vulnerable groups of the population throughout Lebanon, starting with access to services, such as education, and the protection of rights, with a view to an overall response to the political and financial crisis and regional crises affecting the Country of the Cedars”.
Vice Minister Del Re will chair next week a table for the coordination of Italian humanitarian aid in Lebanon with the participation of public and private stakeholders.
