UK Official Ends Virtual Visit to Lebanon, Urges 'New and Effective Govt.'

The UK Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Sir Philip Barton, paid a virtual visit to Lebanon in which he relayed the UK's "ongoing and longstanding support to the people of Lebanon" and called on Lebanese leaders to "put their personal interests aside and urgently form a new government," the British embassy said on Thursday.

He was briefed by Country Director and Representative of the World Food Program in Lebanon Abdallah al-Wardat, World Health Organization Representative in Lebanon Dr. Iman Shankiti and World Bank Regional Director Middle East Saroj Kumar Jha, on what the U.N. is doing to help Lebanon's many challenges.

"With local and international partners delivering UK funded programmes, Philip saw first-hand the UK’s immediate response to the COVID19 outbreak back in March, the devastating 4 August blast at Beirut port and the UK’s long-standing support to education, humanitarian and economic sectors," the embassy said in a statement.

He also heard from a member of the UK's Emergency and Medical Team providing training to health workers at Sidon's government hospital as part of their emergency deployment to Lebanon to tackle the COVID19 outbreak in Lebanon, which has been made significantly more challenging following the devastating Beirut port explosion.

Philip was also briefed on the humanitarian and education-related challenges across Lebanon and how UK development is supporting vulnerable and host communities.

He also met with caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe and discussed "the challenges Lebanon is facing, the ongoing suffering of its people and the ailing economic situation," underlining the importance of Lebanon’s political leaders working to "alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people," the embassy added.

At the end of his visit, Philip said: "It was very impressive to see how the UK's support to Lebanon is alleviating some of the suffering of the people including the most vulnerable. But this is not enough on its own. A new and effective Government must be formed urgently to implement the long awaited reforms."

"As I said to Foreign Minister Wehbe, there is also much work that needs to be done now by the acting Government to tackle the issues facing the Lebanese people," he added.