From school supplies to clothes as well as hygiene products and blankets, UNIFIL Italian peacekeepers recently donated a number of essential items to the population displaced by the ongoing violence across the Blue Line.
The donation, which is a gift from Italy’s Sant’Antioco Municipality, is the continuation of a support scheme launched last May by the UNIFIL Italian contingent in aid of the displaced population.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that more than 110,000 Lebanese residents have been displaced from areas close to the Blue Line. Thousands of them live in the nearest city, Tyre.
In August 2017, with efforts from UNIFIL’s Italian contingent, the cities of Tyre and Sant’Antioco signed a twinning agreement, opening doors for cooperation between them.
During the donation ceremony of 9 September, the Mayor of Tyre, Hassan Dbouk, said, "The Italian soldiers have shown that they are bearers of a culture of peace and solidarity that has touched the hearts of us Lebanese, demonstrating sincere feelings of brotherhood through their actions."
Joined by video link from Italy, Sant’Antioco Mayor Ignazio Locci echoed Mr. Dbouk’s views.
"This donation holds special significance," said Mr. Locci, adding that the twinning agreement paved a path for strengthening relations between the two Mediterranean cities.
"And it is precisely on the basis of this twinning," concluded Mr. Locci, "that in this dramatic historical moment, we feel particularly close to the population of Tyre and Lebanon, for whom we wanted to promote this project."