The Italian contingent of UNIFIL’s Sector West Command today conducted an initiative dedicated to the " Lieutenant Colonel Sobhi Akoury" Association, in the Sector headquarters in Shama.

The initiative, which aims to advance the already existing close bond between UNIFIL peacekeepers and the local population, involved practical activities including first aid, Italian cooking and methods of military combat. About 50 spouses of members of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) personnel participated in the initiative.

The "Lieutenant Colonel Sobhi Akoury" Association is a non-profit organization supported by the LAF. It was founded in 2008 following the death of Lieutenant Colonel Akoury in the Nahr El Bahred battle in 2007. The Association aims to support the children of the fallen LAF personnel “to heal their wounds and to feel their suffering.”

Italy has more than 1,100 peacekeepers with UNIFIL – most of them with the "Folgore" Brigade.