Beirut: Minister of Culture Dr. Ghassan Salameh received in his office at the National Library - Sanayeh the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Karolina Lindholm Billing, accompanied by the Head of the Liaison Unit at UNHCR, Shukrallah Abu Joudeh. The meeting addressed the role of the Commission in supporting the affairs of displaced persons both inside shelters and outside them.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Billing emphasized the organization's commitment to prioritize Lebanon's stability and security and to enable people to return to homes from which they were forcibly displaced. Billing stated, "I had the honor of meeting Minister Salameh and expressed to him the commitment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support Lebanon and its people, especially during these difficult times the country is going through. I also briefed the Minister on the ways in which UNHCR is contributing to the response to the crisis in Lebanon, where people have been forced to leave their villages in the south due to attacks and evacuation warnings, and to reach safer places such as Beirut without their belongings."
Billing further elaborated on the assistance being provided, saying, "We are providing assistance and support to shelters and to displaced persons outside these centers. I also expressed our constant readiness to provide support and our commitment to highlighting and prioritizing what is happening in Lebanon. This country needs more solidarity and support in order to maintain its stability and security and to enable people to return to their homes."
She emphasized the ongoing efforts by her team, stating, "My team and I regularly and consistently visit shelters and displaced persons outside these centers to assess and meet their needs. But more important than all of this is the need to support people in returning to their homes. This is what all displaced people want-no one chose to leave their home if they could have stayed and lived in dignity-and this is what we particularly support."