UNIFIL also known to many as The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has donated fire fighting and rescue assets to the LCD (Lebanese Civil Defence) which is a civil emergency service given to the public which carries our search and rescue activities and fire fighting in Lebanon
During the ceremony hosted at the UNIFIL headquarter, UN Missions Head, Major General Michael Beary, gave over 72 UN assets which included fire pumps, pressure cutting equipment, cylinders and breathing devices to the Vice Mayor, Sari Labib Gholmeih. The assets donated will be used by Lebanese Civil Defense at Nabatieh.
Major General Beary noted “another milestone” which has been placed in the on the current cooperation between UNIFIL and Lebanese Civil Defense
“I am acutely aware that the LCD and its main volunteer fire fighters will be key-partners for UNIFIL in an event of any Protection of the Civilian’s incident, for that reason, UNIFIL is proud to assist the organization in any way that it can,” Said Major General Beary.
UNIFIL’s Deputy Head of Mission Imran Riza mentioned that the UNIFIL support would reinforce LCD’s “safe and effective” response to the fire hazards in southern Lebanon. “While I hope they will be of support to your daily operations, I also wish for the summer season to pass quietly and without the need to use them,” told Mr. Riza. Southern Lebanon is likely to fire-hazards during the summer months.
UNIFIL’s cooperation with Lebanon Civil Defense goes back till 2008 and has included an enormous amount of support interventions which includes equipping the civil defense facilities through QIP (Quick Impact Project) to the facilitation of joint training courses and drills
Since the launch of such training courses, many LCD personnel operating in UNIFIL’s area of operation has received training from the UN Mission. This is in addition to a wide range of similar capacity-building training organized by various UNIFIL troop-contributing countries.
Speaking in today’s ceremony, Mr. Gholmeih said the donation enables LCD in carrying out its public safety duties “in an excellent manner.”
