Lebanon Deploys Team to Assist Rescue Operations in Quake-stricken Syria

TEMPO.CO, Beirut -  A Lebanese delegation on Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, moved to Syria to assist the earthquake-stricken country in rescue operations, said Lebanon's Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh.

The Delegation comprises the Lebanese Red Cross, Beirut Fire Brigade, Civil Defense, Disaster Management units, and the Lebanese army in cooperation with some private sector companies, according to the National News Agency.

The minister emphasized the urgent need to support Syria as a brotherly country, adding Lebanon has decided to "open air and sea facilities to enable shipping companies to transport humanitarian aid from countries, institutions, and international organizations to Syria."

Hamieh added that Lebanon exempted companies from the airport and port fees to land in Lebanon as they usually refrain from docking and landing in Syrian facilities out of fear of sanctions.

Hamieh said that "several private sector companies expressed their willingness to contribute to the removal of rubble, and they have been in contact with the Supreme Defense Council and the Syrian embassy to coordinate the work."

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib discussed with representatives of UN agencies, including the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the UN Development Program, about coordination of offering support to Syria amid the current circumstances.