The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, visited Bekaa and Baalbek, where she met with the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon, and visited one of the community support projects run by the UNHCR. In Baalbek, the Special Coordinator met with Governor Bashir Khodor, Baalbek Mayor Mustafa Shal, and Baalbek Union of Municipalities President Shafiq Shhada, focusing on the political, security, social, and economic conditions in the region, which has been affected by the country’s political and socio-economic crisis. The discussions also touched upon the upcoming municipal elections.
In her meeting with Baalbek Mayor Mustafa Shal, they discussed the political, security, social, and economic conditions in the area, as well as the crucial role municipalities play in providing services to people. The Special Coordinator highlighted the importance of ongoing cooperation between the UN and Lebanese authorities, especially in responding to the growing needs of the population, stressing that “Baalbek, like other Lebanese areas, will benefit from implementing necessary reforms in Lebanon and the full operational capacity of state institutions to serve the people.”
Wronecka exchanged valuable viewpoints with the governor of Baalbek-Hermel, Bashir Khodor, on the need for creative ideas and political will to address the social and economic challenges facing the region and encourage more international assistance.
Wronecka also toured Hosn Tal Safiya, where she visited a water treatment plant and a solar energy system funded by UNHCR. Governor Abbas Maawiya explained that the plant provides clean drinking water for more than 4,000 Lebanese and refugees living in neighboring villages.
“I visited in Bekaa today with the Baalbek Union of Municipalities a solar energy project funded by the UNHCR at a water treatment station in Hosn Tal Safiya that serves Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees. An encouraging model of cooperation between Lebanon and the United Nations to help meet the immediate needs of people,” she tweeted.
During a visit to a UNHCR center in Zahle, UNHCR's representative in Lebanon, Ivo Freissen, and field staff briefed the Special Coordinator on the importance of continued international support for Lebanon to secure vital assistance for both Lebanese and Syrian refugees, as well as community and institutional support to improve the provision of municipal services and more.
The Special Coordinator emphasized the importance of strengthening Lebanese state institutions and ensuring that no one is neglected, reaffirming the UN’s commitment to supporting Lebanon and its people.
