A humanitarian aid plane provided by France arrived at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, carrying 28 tons of medicines and medical supplies, as part of its ongoing support for the Lebanese authorities and its solidarity with the Lebanese people under the current circumstances.
The handover took place at the airport’s cargo terminal in the presence of Bruno Pereira da Silva, chargé d’affaires at the French Embassy, and Fadi Sinan, director-general of the Ministry of Public Health.
The shipment will be handed over to the Ministry of Health for distribution to hospitals and health centers across various regions.
During the handover, Sinan thanked Lebanon’s friendly countries, “foremost among them France, for their continued support,” noting that “this shipment is the third of its kind provided by Paris.”
Sinan also extended special thanks to “French President Emmanuel Macron and the staff of the French Embassy in Beirut,” praising “the depth of Lebanese-French relations, reflected in the scale of aid provided to Lebanon, whether in the health sector or in various other fields, alongside political support.”
He also stressed “Lebanon’s pride in its historic relations with France,” expressing hope for “the continued support of friendly countries and international organizations, especially in light of the crisis Lebanon is going through.”
He pointed to “the major challenges facing the health sector, in light of the recording of more than 10,000 casualties, including martyrs and wounded, in addition to the damage sustained by a large number of hospitals, primary healthcare centers and ambulances, as well as the deaths of more than 100 workers in the health sector.”
For his part, the French chargé d’affaires said that “the situation on the ground in Lebanon remains difficult, with clashes and shelling continuing in the south, leading to the displacement of more than one million people within the country, a figure that reflects the scale of the current humanitarian crisis.”
He explained that “this shipment represents the third batch of French humanitarian aid, following two previous shipments totaling 30 tons and 10 tons,” noting that his country “has so far delivered hundreds of tons of aid to Lebanon and will continue to stand by the Lebanese people at this delicate stage.”
He concluded by affirming that “the medicines and medical supplies will be distributed through the Lebanese Ministry of Health to public hospitals and health centers, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the resilience of the health sector and meet growing needs.”
