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He added: Beirut today is trying to rise from its ruins and, with the solidarity of all Lebanese and their support, it will recover its wounds and rise as it has done before repeatedly throughout history. The explosion, the earthquake that struck our capital, sank deep into Lebanese consciousness. The images of the victims, the pain of the injured and the tears of those who lost a loved one will never fade.
He continued: The repercussions will not only affect economic activity, but will raise poverty rates that were at 45% before the explosion, according to the evaluation of the World Bank, which estimated the economic loss resulting from the explosion at around $ 3 $ 5 billion, property damage about $ 4.5 billion and emergency reconstruction needs about $ 2 billion.
He added: Beirut was declared a disaster city, and the army took over relief management in cooperation with other agencies, the Red Cross, authorized non-governmental organizations and volunteers, and conducted surveys to determine damage and assess needs, and to receiving and distributing local and international aid, and was willing to adopt the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
He said: The next stage is reconstruction, and the advanced emergency room will handle the restoration of partially damaged homes and commercial units, but the biggest problem is in the totally destroyed neighborhoods and facilities.
He added: In the course of the investigation, all of Lebanon wants to know the truth and achieve justice. We have forwarded the file of the explosion to the Judicial Council, which is the highest criminal judicial body in Lebanon, and a forensic investigator has been appointed while conducting its investigations and proceedings. Immediately after the explosion occurred, we requested international technical assistance in investigating the capacity of some countries to provide us with satellite images at the time of the explosion and to know the route and history of the ship loaded with ammonium nitrate from its launch to its arrival at the port of Beirut, and analyze the soil and materials and everything that will show what happened. Teams from various countries came seeking technical assistance to investigate, carried out the necessary investigation and were still awaiting their information on the mystery of the ship, as well as satellite images to clear up the ambiguity in this part of the investigation.
He said: Lebanon is in an unprecedented crisis, accumulations that erupted in one go, a harsh recession due to the economic situation, to which was added the Covid-19 crisis and its repercussions, and finally the disaster of the port explosion. it struck him in the heart, humanitarian and economic, which made the situation largely a crisis, and on top of all that The displacement crisis in Syria has been going on for ten years.
Regarding the refugee crisis, President Aoun said: Although Lebanon is not a country of definitive asylum and its constitution does not accept resettlement, it has addressed the displacement crisis from the beginning of humanitarian duty and respect for international law, especially the principle of non-refoulement. Lebanon calls for intensifying efforts for the safe and dignified return of displaced Syrians, and not linking it to the political solution in Syria, especially after it has become mostly safe, and also calls on the Lebanese government to help implement the plan that approved for the return of the displaced, especially as conditions become increasingly favorable for return.
He continued: Until the return of the displaced is achieved and to emphasize the principle of shared responsibility and burden-sharing among countries, Lebanon renews its call to donor countries to fulfill their obligations and provide direct assistance to institutions. governments and Lebanese host communities, in response to the response plan prepared by Lebanon in cooperation with the United Nations.
He said: Lebanon has committed to the international community to carry out a package of administrative, financial and economic reforms aimed at facilitating the reactivation process to which we all aspire. Lebanon, while welcoming the decision to extend the mandate of UNIFIL and reading in it a strong and comprehensive message of support from the Security Council to preserve its stability, salutes the sacrifices of UNIFIL and prioritizes the preservation of the safety and security of its members, appreciating the close and continuous cooperation that exists between it and the Lebanese army.
He added: In context, Lebanon renews its commitment to implement Resolution 1701 in all its components, believing that this will establish the rules of stability and security in southern Lebanon, which will reflect stability throughout the region, and any non-compliance with it will further complicate the situation. Consequently, Lebanon reiterates its appeal to the international community to oblige Israel to fulfill all its obligations in this field and to end its violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air, and to stop violating its airspace and use it to attack Syrian territories, and calls for full cooperation with UNIFIL to demarcate what remains of the Blue Line and immediate withdrawal from northern Ghajar and farms. Shebaa and Kfarshouba Hills.
And on the rights of Lebanon, he said, Lebanon also affirms its full adherence to its full rights to its waters and natural oil and gas resources, and to all of its maritime borders in accordance with international law, and awaits the role of the United Nations and friendly countries to establish their rights, specifically the mediation of the United States of America to carry out the necessary negotiations to finally demarcate the maritime borders in accordance with the law. International and in a way that preserves Lebanon’s sovereignty and rights over its wealth.
He said: Today, with the passage of 75 years since the creation of the United Nations, and with the growing discussion of solutions in the Middle East region, we reiterate our adherence to the principles on which the organization was founded, the most important of which is the inviolability of recognized international borders, and the emphasis on any negotiation, whatever its form or entity. It should address sustainable solutions sponsored by the competent authorities, especially United Nations resolutions, including Resolution 194, which guarantees the right of Palestinian refugees to return. In this context, we also mention the Beirut Peace Initiative for the year 2002. And we, on the first centenary of the Greater Lebanon Declaration, cannot help but affirm that the Lebanese people, with all their specters, adheres to preserve a great and united Lebanon, without division or division.
He concluded: It is the first time in the history of the United Nations that a meeting of the General Assembly is held virtually. An invisible virus prevented us from truly meeting and forced us to communicate through video technology. There is no doubt that the world after Covid 19 will not be the same as before, and we hope it will be a more humane world after he alone is helpless in the face of the loss of loved ones and oxygen. Perhaps the great sympathy that Lebanon and its people felt after the disaster that hit Beirut, and the rush of the countries and peoples of the world to show solidarity and reach out a helping hand is an indication that our world learned a lesson from their suffering, and humanity has once again taken part of its place in the world of matter and the right to power and injustice. It is an encouraging sign for the future that we want, for the United Nations that we need, that wanted our meeting this year to be under the theme: Reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateral action ”, which can be summarized in one phrase: solidarity for forever.
Source: Lebanon’s National Information Agency
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