Layout option 1: Grid display, horizontal block, links to media item
Olive trees have made significant contributions to the Lebanese history, culture and identity, while providing for centuries the oil for the lamps of the saints and the food for the farmers. The very same vegetation has also made quite an important contribution to building bonds of friendship between UNIFIL and the communities in south Lebanon, especially in circumstances like the one in Blida. UNIFIL Radio recently visited the south-eastern Lebanese town to highlight this special bond and to show how UNIFIL peacekeepers are working to maintain peace in the area.
UNIFIL mandate has to be approved every year at the end of August and that is exactly what happened on 28 August this year where the 15 member states of the UN Security Council were unanimous on renewing our mandate for one more year. We, in UNIFIL Radio, asked the Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col to speak on the latest renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate.
UNIFIL Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Jean-Pierre Fagué says he is very proud of the work of UNIFIL peacekeepers in the Beirut Port and surrounding areas, carried out within a special and temporary deployment. He was speaking with UNIFIL Radio at the peak of their mission in support of Lebanese efforts in the wake of the tragic 4 August explosions that lasted from 27 September to 23 October 2020. They removed debris in the port and cleared streets and…
Summing up a search and rescue operation carried out on 14 September 2020, UNIFIL Maritime Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral Sergio Salgueirinho, says that in total the lives of 36 individuals were saved. Unfortunately, there was also another person who was not that lucky. It was a long day full of drama and self-sacrificing rescue efforts. It was not for the first time UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, deployed in 2006 at the request of the Lebanese…
UNIFIL Ghanian Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Atuluk Abbas, talks about monitoring the Blue Line or rather a part of it passing through the battalion’s area of responsibility. Despite the crisis triggered by the Coronavirus, Ghanaian peacekeepers conduct dozens of patrols daily in the southern extremes of Lebanon to maintain peace and calm in the region. Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud.
As the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, the legendary strength of the Lebanese people now faces an additional test. Throughout its history, the city of Beirut has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. While still mourning the dead and those still missing, Lebanese citizens are determined to rebuild their shattered homes and businesses with the hope of bringing their city back to its former glory and the UN, and UNIFIL as a part…
Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Nanbigne, the head of UNIFIL verification team dealing with the rotation during the COVID-19 crisis, says it was a formidable task to arrange the departure of thousands of peacekeepers who had completed their tour of duty in the south of Lebanon. And no less easy was the task of deploying thousands of new blue helmets in such a manner that would exclude the spread of the deadly virus. Nevertheless, this has been…
All along the Blue Line, almost daily, various activities take place – some of which can be misinterpreted by one or another party… The primary task of Liaison mechanism, established under the aegis of UNIFIL in December 2006, is to prevent and address any misunderstanding or a problem from escalating into a conflict between Lebanon and Israel. Liaison mechanism is not apparently visible but has proven to be extremely important for maintaining…
Layout option 2: Grid display, default layout (no option to show title)
<p style="text-align:start">For the past nine months, the south of Lebanon has seen continuous exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, with the current level of exchanges now higher than they were in the beginning. Destruction, death, injury, and large-scale population relocation are the reality on the ground. Since October, in addition to performing its mandated tasks, UNIFIL and its national contingents have put an extra effort to assist the local communities in south Lebanon with medical, dental, veterinary, and educational support, as well as other kinds of assistance, to alleviate the hardships of the people who remained in their villages during these exceptionally challenging times.</p>
<p><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/EbJ2bDUJQX7hRwEt8" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align:start"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Aptos, sans-serif"><span style="color:#212121"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:1.2">As part of UNIFIL support to the state entities in south Lebanon, particularly during these exceptionally challenging times, recently the French peacekeepers conducted a joint training with Civil Defense firefighters of Tyre. UNIFIL’s cooperation with the Lebanese Civil Defense, that carries out firefighting, search and rescue activities across the country, dates back to 2008 and has encompassed a plethora of support interventions ranging from equipping of the existing Civil Defense facilities to facilitation of joint exercises and training courses.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:start"><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/MwDECAeZ52mqxV736" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="text-align:start"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color:#212121"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Aptos, sans-serif">Each year, on May the 29<sup>th</sup>, UNIFIL commemorates the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. It's a day dedicated to recognizing the dedication and sacrifices of the women and men who serve tirelessly for peace across the globe. Traditionally, the mission organizes a gathering at its headquarters in Naqoura, bringing together peacekeepers, national and local officials, as well as members of the Lebanese Armed Forces and other security agencies. However, this year, </span>due to the security situation and the ongoing exchanges of fire in the south<span style="font-family:Aptos, sans-serif">, the mission did not hold a physical event. Instead, UNIFIL's Head of Mission and Force Commander, Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro, addressed the peacekeepers serving in south Lebanon.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="text-align:start"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/unifilradio/peacekeepers-day-amidst-adversity?si… style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color:#212121"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align:start">In this episode of “Salam from the South”, UNIFIL Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in south Lebanon, and the role the mission is playing during the current crisis in de-escalating the situation.</p>
<p><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/p3EYWMRYZsJxE9ueA" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p class="p1">Over the past 46 years, since UNIFIL was deployed in south Lebanon in 1978, the mission and its peacekeepers have developed strong bonds with the communities in which they live and work. Amidst recent exchanges of fire along the Blue Line starting October the 8th, UNIFIL has consistently urged the parties to respect their commitments under resolution 1701 and has maintained its operational activities aimed at lowering tensions and preventing escalation. Furthermore, UNIFIL has been actively assisting the local community with medical, dental, veterinary, and educational support, as well as other kinds of assistance, while ensuring humanitarian access to the most affected. UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro continually stresses the vital importance of addressing the needs of local communities during these difficult times.</p>
<p class="p1"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/unifilradio/extending-a-helping-hand-to-the-loca…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p>UNIFIL Deputy Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel sits down with Salam from the South to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in south Lebanon.</p>
<p><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/XcYoTNhdgJSndRQz9" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align:start"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="color:#212121"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="line-height:1.2">Since the exchanges of fire began along the Blue Line on October 8<sup>th</sup>, the situation has drastically changed in south Lebanon. And after 17 years of unprecedented stability, UNIFIL peacekeepers now operate under very different and more difficult conditions than before. But still, they are performing their mandated activities under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to restore security and stability along the Blue Line and prevent the outbreak of a wider and more devastating conflict. Peacekeeping patrols are a critical part of this. UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro says </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="line-height:1.2">ensuring peacekeepers’ ability to move within their area of operation is essential for the effective implementation of </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="line-height:1.2">UNIFIL’s</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="line-height:1.2"> mandate.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:start"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/unifilradio/unifil-freedom-of-movement?si=8e5aee…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p>Our trip began on a Monday morning in Naqoura, as we make our way to a base home to Ghanaian peacekeepers in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon, along the Blue Line. The road, once bustling with activity, now lies deserted. All we meet was destruction in the distance as we pass through Alma Shaab, Dhaira, Yarin, and Al Bustan. We arrive at the peacekeeping base, where Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman, the Ghanaian battalion Commander, greets us outside his office. Fortunately, the morning saw a decrease in the exchanges of fire along the Blue Line. It is not always the case.</p>