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 class="pf0" style="text-align:start">UNIFIL is in south Lebanon upon the request of the Lebanese Government and has been working to maintain relative stability and security along the Blue Line and throughout its area of operations since 2006. However, over these 16-plus years, the mission has also actively been helping and supporting the local communities amongst whom they live and work. Recently, as part of this ongoing support to communities, UNIFIL implemented two projects hand in hand with stakeholders in the Hasbaya and Marjayoun districts. The projects aim to improve people’s livelihood, especially amid the stifling economic and social crisis afflicting the country.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#333333">The farmers in Meiss Al Jabal village in south Lebanon received 10 plots of land cleared of the deadly threat of mines and other explosive ordinances after two years of humanitarian demining works done in the village. This came as a result of joint efforts by the UN Mine Action Service, UNIFIL deminers, and the Lebanon Mine Action Center. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/unifilradio/returning-lands-free-of-deadly-mines… is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align:start; margin-bottom:11px">What many people may not realize is that alongside the roughly 10,000 peacekeeping troops currently serving with UNIFIL, there are also about 800 civilian staff that work hard to keep the peacekeeping mission going. In our previous Radio episode, we talked about the Lebanese civilian staff members working in UNIFIL. Today, we will introduce you to the international civilian staff members serving with their Lebanese colleagues to support the mission. Three of the international staff we will talk to today will share with us a little bit of their journey with the United Nations around the world and with UNIFIL, serving for peace in south Lebanon.</p>
<p><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/6rb7x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:16.0pt">Since the mission arrived in south Lebanon in 1978, hundreds<b> </b>of thousands of UN peacekeepers have served with UNIFIL, including the roughly 10,000 peacekeeping troops currently present. What people may not realize is that UNIFIL also has civilian staff members that work to support the mission and its complex operations. There are currently about 800 civilian peacekeepers working in UNIFIL, most of whom are Lebanese. In our episode today we will introduce you to three of UNIFIL’s Lebanese civilian peacekeepers. They will share with us their experience and insights into serving for peace in their own home country.</span></span></span></p>
<p><a href="https://on.soundcloud.com/h28z5"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">“Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Scene” training was organized in in UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. The training course brought together members of the Internal Security Forces Investigative Unit and UNIFIL Carabinieri or Italian military police operating within UNIFIL. This training offered a good platform to exchange expertise between peacekeepers and ISF personnel.</span></span></span></p>
<p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/unifilradio/unifil-and-isf-exchange-expertise?si…; rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><strong><i>Here is the link to full story in SoundCloud</i></strong></a></p>
<p>UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro says, “The 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping operations is an occasion to pay tribute to all the peacekeepers, women and men, who over the past 75 years have served for peace throughout the world”.</p>