BEIRUT: Lebanon’s government on Tuesday approved the allocation of 360 billion Lebanese pounds ($18 million) to hold a parliamentary election, Telecoms Minister Johnny Corm told Reuters following a cabinet meeting.
Lebanon went into financial meltdown in 2019 and some officials had raised concerns over elections potentially being postponed over financial constraints.
Speaking after the cabinet session, acting Information Minister Abbas Halabi quoted Prime Minister Najib Mikati as saying the last vote in 2018 had cost the state $54 million, but only a much smaller amount was available now.
The United Nations and Western governments have repeatedly urged Lebanese leaders to hold elections on time and allocate the appropriate funding, amid fears that powerful political parties could seek to use the financial crisis as a pretext to postpone the vote.
The May 15 election would be the first for the 128-member legislature since mass protests in October 2019 against political elites widely seen as responsible for decades of corruption and mismanagement.
The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, had earlier on Tuesday “stressed the importance of holding the elections on time,” a UN statement said.
“I hope that the Council of Ministers will approve the electoral budget...so that preparations can proceed swiftly and no shadow of uncertainty hangs over the election,” Wronecka said, according to the statement.
Lebanon approves $18 million to hold May election
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Lebanon approves $18 million to hold May election
- Acting Information Minister Abbas Halabi quoted Prime Minister Najib Mikati as saying the last vote in 2018 had cost the state $54 million
- The United Nations and Western governments have repeatedly urged Lebanese leaders to hold elections on time
’Not much is standing’ in Gaza, says UN official
- “We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” da Silva said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation“
- He said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment
JERUSALEM: A top United Nations official on Thursday called for accelerating reconstruction work in Gaza, saying Palestinians there were living in “inhumane” conditions, even as a US-backed truce entered its second phase.
“I wouldn’t have imagined what I saw today, which is total destruction, not much is standing,” Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) told journalists after a visit to the Gaza Strip.
“We can’t wait, we can’t procrastinate,” he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an “inhumane situation.”
The two-year war between Hamas and Israeli forces has left Gaza facing destruction on a scale unseen in previous conflicts, with vast swathes reduced to rubble.
Entire residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and basic infrastructure have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters.
Da Silva said the launch of phase two of the Gaza truce plan marked a “historical” moment that should be seized to kick-start reconstruction efforts.
“This opens the opportunities for reconstruction, knowing that we will need $52 billion, according to the assessment conducted by the World Bank, UN and the European Commission, for the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
“But the point is we can’t wait for the big reconstruction, which requires billions, to immediately launch the early recovery that requires millions.”
On Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, saying it aimed to pave the way for reconstruction and the demilitarization of all armed factions in the territory.
The war was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist group’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ensuing Israeli offensive has devastated Gaza, home to about 2.2 million people, a territory that was already suffering severely from previous rounds of fighting and from an Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.
Da Silva said the war had left about 60 million tons of rubble scattered across the strip.
“Gaza is flooded by rubble and debris,” he said.
“The problem is not just the volume of rubble, it’s also the fact that its content is quite a matter of concern, with unexploded ordnance in the rubble, dangerous waste, and unfortunately also human remains.”
The environmental and urban planning specialist said one of the most urgent priorities was ensuring reliable access to fuel — a critical resource in Gaza, where most electricity is generated by fuel-powered generators.
He also cited the need for demining, rebuilding water supply networks, lifting restrictions on the entry of aid, and allowing in spare parts required for repairs — long-standing demands by humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza.
Aid groups have for months complained of difficulties bringing in equipment and supplies, blaming Israeli restrictions.
Israel rejects those accusations, saying it oversees the entry of goods into Gaza to ensure its security.
