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New tree plantation drive marks NEPBATT change of command

The newly arrived batch of UNIFIL’s Nepalese peacekeepers, operating in the Mission’s area of operations in south-eastern Lebanon, launched last week an environmental campaign in line with the Mission’s broader “Blue to Green” initiative.

The new campaign, which will see each of the roughly 870 peacekeepers from Nepal plant a tree in the course of their yearlong deployment with UNIFIL, was launched on the occasion of the transfer of authority of the Nepalese Battalion (NEPBATT) on 22 January 2021.

The incoming NEPBATT Commander Lt. Col. Rajib Thapa, who took charge from Lt. Col. Chandra Prasad Chapagain, said the new campaign themed “BORN FREE, PLANT A TREE” seeks to achieve the goals envisaged by UNIFIL’s “Blue to Green” initiative. He added that, at a minimum, each of NEPBATT personnel will donate or plant a tree on their birthdays.

Delivering on the Mission’s commitment to reduce environmental footprint in the communities it serves, its peacekeepers have of late redoubled efforts in protecting the environment through a number of initiatives ranging from wastewater treatment plants and solar plants to afforestation and shoreline clean-up campaigns.

Addressing the transfer of authority ceremony in the NEPBATT headquarters in Meiss ej Jabel, south-eastern Lebanon, UNIFIL Sector East Commander Brig. Gen. Javier Miragaya Prieto lauded the “commitment, professionalism and relentless dedication” of the Nepalese peacekeepers in UNIFIL. He also joined Nepalese peacekeepers in planting cedar trees in the sprawling hilltop base.

(Photos: Lance Corporal Purushottam Subedi)