NEW YORK CITY: Haneen Sayed, Lebanon’s minister of social affairs, used her visit to New York and Washington this week to emphasize the urgent need to strengthen state institutions as the country confronts the combined pressures of war, mass displacement, and economic strain.
She said that reinforcing the Lebanese state, from the army to social services, is essential not only to respond to the immediate humanitarian crisis, but also to restore public trust and prevent further institutional erosion at a critical moment.
Sayed also pointed to the importance of this week’s direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, saying that halting the violence is a necessary first step to make negotiations viable.
Speaking to Arab News at the UN headquarters in New York before taking part in the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, Sayed outlined the scale of the crisis facing Lebanon.
“When Hezbollah decided to launch six missiles over the border (into Israel) on March 2, which then brought us into this war in a big way, our economy had not yet recovered,” she said.
“Our financial sector and the reforms we had embarked on last year as a government had not yet borne fruit. Regionally, our Gulf partners are dealing with their own challenges, and globally, funding has been declining for the past two years, so it could not have come at a worse time.
“We understand the constraints, but our message to the international community is that Lebanon cannot fail: as a country, as a government, or as an idea. Lebanon’s failure would have consequences for its neighbors, the region, and even Europe.”
On March 2, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for the US-Israeli killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Feb. 28. Israel responded with a renewed air and ground offensive against Lebanon.
A digger clears the rubble of a building in Beirut’s Hay al-Selloum neighborhood, that was targeted in an Israeli strike. (AFP)
Peace prospects remain uncertain after Israel said on April 11 it would not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah during talks with Lebanese officials in Washington, according to media reports.
To date, the conflict has resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, more than 6,500 injuries, and the displacement of more than one million people across the country, according to Lebanese authorities.
Sayed was sharply critical of Hezbollah’s role in the conflict and its broader impact on the country. “Hezbollah as an armed group, what they’re doing is illegal,” she said.
“I don’t believe that Hezbollah has succeeded in defending the country and its people. It has only brought devastation on its people, on its land.”
Her comments came as Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese government to cancel direct talks with Israel in Washington, describing them as “pointless” and a form of “submission and surrender.”
He also vowed that Hezbollah would continue its military operations, and would never surrender its weapons, saying the group would fight “until their last breath” and that they were prepared for prolonged confrontation.
A Lebanese Red Cross volunteer inspect the damage to their rescue vehicles at the site of an Israeli drone strike on April 13. (AFP)
Sayed’s response to the threat reflects a difficult but inescapable reality. “We didn’t expect that Naim Qassem would come out and say, OK, we’re going to sit at the table with you,” she said.
“And of course, there is a major external factor, which is Hezbollah’s backers, including Iran, and this is being played out on another front. I believe that the decisions are not made solely by Hezbollah itself.
“There is, in a sense, a ‘big brother’ making these decisions, which is to the detriment of our country. We hope this will be addressed as part of a broader regional agreement.”
Lebanon’s priority remains the strengthening of the state itself, she said. “It takes time and patience, and holding the course steady in terms of wanting what’s best for the country.
“We want a strong army. If at any point the Lebanese army is able to protect the citizen, that is what we want, rather than an armed faction, which has not succeeded in protecting people. It has brought devastation on its own land.”
Sayed also stressed that the state must be the central provider of services and security. “People need reassurance that the state is present, and that in the end it is only the state that can truly protect them.”
She added that strengthening state capacity must go hand in hand with international support, as Lebanon faces both security and social pressures. These pressures have fueled concerns about internal instability.
While Sayed expressed confidence that Lebanon could avoid a return to civil strife, she acknowledged the strain. “To be honest, we are stretched,” she said. “There is no hiding from that, and all the communities are anxious.”
About 85 percent of displaced people are not in formal shelters. (AFP)
She described visiting displacement shelters regularly and witnessing growing hardship. “You just see the hopelessness on mothers’ faces, husbands and sons sitting idly in shelters, waiting for something to happen.”
She said that worsening conditions could intensify pressure on already fragile communities, particularly as most displaced people are not in formal shelters but staying with host communities or relying on savings that are rapidly depleting.
The humanitarian situation is being managed under significant financial strain. Lebanon has launched a $308 million emergency appeal with the UN, but has received barely 30 percent of the required funding.
“We’re already in the second month, and it’s not clear where this is going,” she said.
She underlined the need for urgent support in shelter, food, and water and sanitation services, noting that municipalities are also under severe pressure as infrastructure systems struggle to absorb the impact of mass displacement.
About 85 percent of displaced people are not in formal shelters — living with relatives, renting accommodation, or relying on savings.
“These savings will run out if the war is prolonged,” she warned, adding that Lebanon’s already fragile economy could see its recent growth reversed if the conflict continues.
“The economy is contracting, and the 5 percent growth achieved in 2025 could be erased within months. If the war continues into the summer, when Lebanon typically receives remittances and tourism activity, the economic contraction is expected to deepen significantly.”
The Israeli military said on April 10 that it had “dismantled” more than 4,300 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon since last month. (AFP)
Municipal services in areas hosting displaced populations, including Beirut, Sidon, and Mount Lebanon, are under particular strain, with increased demand for water, electricity, and waste management services.
Despite the crisis, Sayed said strengthening state institutions is a central priority. “State institutions are even more relevant now, an absolute top priority,” she said.
She highlighted the Lebanese army as a key institution requiring support, alongside public services such as education and social protection programs.
“We’ve developed a very robust program,” she said, referring to direct cash transfers designed to create a stronger link between citizens and the state. “The citizen knows then that the government is the one that’s helping them.”
She also emphasized the importance of maintaining state presence on the ground. “The state is here, we are here helping the people,” she said.
Sayed said that Lebanon’s crisis carries broader implications beyond its borders. “Lebanon cannot fail as a country, as a government, as an idea,” she said. “Lebanon’s failure will have consequences … to the neighbors, to the region, and even to Europe.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Israel and Lebanon to seize a “historic opportunity” as they opened direct talks in Washington on Tuesday — their first since 1993 — to outline a path toward a ceasefire and long-term stability.
The talks come amid US concern that the Israel-Hezbollah conflict could destabilize a fragile ceasefire tied to its broader standoff with Iran, after diplomacy with Tehran last week failed to deliver a breakthrough.
Highlighting the volatility, Hezbollah launched simultaneous rocket salvos at 13 northern Israeli towns shortly after the talks began.
A fireball rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in the area of Abbasiyeh, on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, on April 8. (AFP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the talks are unlikely to deliver an immediate breakthrough, noting that “nobody expects that these talks today will solve all the problems,” but stressed they could help shift long-standing dynamics.
He described a cycle in which “Hezbollah and Israel have always helped each other to destabilize the government of Lebanon,” with each side’s actions providing the other with justification to escalate.
Israeli operations, he said, allow Hezbollah to argue “we cannot disarm,” while rocket fire from Hezbollah gives Israel grounds for further large-scale attacks.
Guterres emphasized that Lebanon’s government seeks both territorial integrity and “the monopoly of use of force,” implying Hezbollah’s disarmament, and urged a shift toward cooperation so Lebanon is no longer “the victim” of this “negative” cycle.
Sayed said an immediate halt to violence is essential.
“First and foremost, we need to have a ceasefire. We need to stop the bombs falling on our head,” she said, adding that a ceasefire would also make negotiations more feasible.
“I am hopeful that there will be de-escalation and a ceasefire. I believe that, in the end, even for the Israelis, this is not in their best interest. If there is true civil strife in Lebanon, it would only bring chaos.”
On April 8, Lebanon was hit by a major wave of Israeli airstrikes that struck several areas including Beirut, the southern suburbs, Sidon, Tyre and the Bekaa Valley, coming just hours after a US-Iran ceasefire announcement and as Hezbollah signaled a pause in its attacks.
The strikes hit crowded residential and commercial districts without warning, overwhelmed hospitals with casualties, and left at least 350 people dead and more than 1,000 wounded, with some Lebanese and international reports putting the toll even higher.
Israeli airstrikes struck several areas in Lebanon including Beirut, Sidon, and Tyre, hours after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement. (AFP)
Some Lebanese fear Israel may be trying to deliberately stoke internal sectarian divisions in Lebanon with such attacks.
“Possible, possible,” Sayed said. “I think what (Israel) did … could have easily ignited further tension. But fortunately, I have faith in the Lebanese that they see beyond that. There was restraint, and there was a lot of sympathy. Communities came together.”
She also addressed Israeli warnings that Lebanon could face the same fate as Gaza, saying the Lebanese population is deeply aware of the risks but is trying to avoid escalation.
“These threats, we’ve heard them many times from the Israelis. One has to take what the Israelis say seriously, especially after what happened on ‘Black Wednesday’ a week ago. They will probably not stop at that.
“The Lebanese people are therefore wary of this, and this is why, as a government, we have taken action. The president said more than a month ago that we are ready for negotiations and direct talks, and this is happening.
“Hopefully, this will be the start of a process.”
Sayed said the ultimate goal of her visit is to secure humanitarian and political support from the international community — “assurances to the Lebanese people that the international community is still standing beside them.”
