Plumbly Advises Lebanese to Stay United, Says World Stands by Lebanon
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly advised the Lebanese at the end of his mission to Beirut to remain united and preserve Lebanon.
Plumbly, who will be succeeded by the head of the U.N. mission to rid Syria of chemical weapons, Sigrid Kaag, told An Nahar newspaper that his last words to the Lebanese are “to remain united and preserve this precious country.”
“You can achieve that and we in the U.N. are ready to assist you,” he said in an interview published on Friday.
Kaag, a 53-year-old Dutch diplomat, will head up U.N. operations in Lebanon, starting Monday. Plumbly served in the post since 2012.
Plumbly visited Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Friday to bid him farewell.
He said the partnership between the U.N. and the Lebanese government has always been the cornerstone for all the U.N.’s work in Beirut and that the PM's "leadership and his wisdom and patience have made him an invaluable partner for the U.N. just as he is an invaluable leader for Lebanon during these very difficult times.”
Asked whether he thought that meetings between rival political factions would help consolidate stability, Plumbly said the U.N. welcomes the talks between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement representatives and the forthcoming dialogue between Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
The talks would help the conferees find an approach to the challenges of stability in the short-run and confront security dangers, he said.
Plumbly expressed hope that the dialogue between the different factions would also help resolve the presidential deadlock.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since President Michel Suleiman's six-year-term ended in May.
“I hope that lawmakers would vote (for a president) as soon as possible,” the British diplomat told An Nahar.
“I also hope there would be a focus on the issue in the dialogue,” he said.
Plumbly described Lebanon as a “complicated” country, saying “it takes time to understand it.”
“The challenges it faces are difficult,” he said, adding that the repercussions of the Syrian crisis make the situation harder.
He stressed that the international community is willing to help Lebanon confront the burden of the Syrian refugees. But resources are limited, the diplomat said.
On Wednesday, Antonio Guterres, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said international donors had provided only around half of the UNHCR's needs in 2014.
"My appeal is for massive support from the international community, massive support for the Syrians and displaced Iraqis also," said Guterres, adding host communities and governments in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq also needed funding.
UNHCR has said that Lebanon, which hosts around 1.5 million displaced Syrians refugees, shot up from being the 69th largest refugee-hosting country to second largest within just three and a half years.
Their presence has imposed a great economic and social burden on Lebanon. It has also caused security tension.
On the rising threat of terrorism as a result of the spillover of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon, Plumbly said: “There are real dangers.”
“Lebanon is at the forefront of the battle against extremism, mainly the Islamic State group, al-Nusra Front and the armed members present on the border,” he said.
Plumbly hailed “the army and security institutions in confronting this phenomenon … and cracking terrorist networks as a result of cooperation” with the U.N. through the International Support Group for Lebanon.
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