Nawaf Salam to begin consultations to form Lebanese government

Special Nawaf Salam to begin consultations to form Lebanese government
Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks with the country’s outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati during their meeting in Beirut on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Nawaf Salam to begin consultations to form Lebanese government

Nawaf Salam to begin consultations to form Lebanese government
  • Nawaf Salam: ‘I am not one of those who exclude or marginalize anyone; rather, I advocate for unity and national partnership’
  • Salam: ‘The time has come to begin a new chapter rooted in justice, security, progress and opportunities for Lebanon to be a country of free people equal in rights and duties’

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam will begin non-binding parliamentary consultations on Wednesday and Thursday to form his government despite Hezbollah’s concerns about being excluded and doubts over the issue of legitimacy.

Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, have consistently adopted this approach during their periods in power to obstruct anything that does not align with their political ambitions.

Both President Joseph Aoun and Salam on Tuesday sought to reassure all parties in Lebanon despite the appointment of Salam lacking any Shiite parliamentary votes for him.

According to a political observer, there are fears of “potential obstacles to forming the government and granting it parliamentary confidence under the pretext of ‘lacking legitimacy,’ even if the cabinet includes Shiite figures in ministerial positions that may not meet their approval.”

Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, took an antagonistic stance after meeting with Aoun on Monday, stating that favoring Salam for the premiership over Najib Mikati, the incumbent caretaker prime minister supported by Hezbollah, is “an attempt by some to foster division, fragmentation, and exclusion.”

He warned: “It is our right to demand a government that upholds the national pact. We will monitor developments wisely and see their actions to expel Israel from southern Lebanon and return the prisoners.”

In response, the president, speaking before the highest Shiite religious authority in Lebanon, Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, vice president of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, who visited him at the presidential palace, stressed that “no obstacles should be placed in the way of forming the government because we must seize the significant opportunities ahead of us. There is no time to waste, and we need to send positive messages abroad that Lebanon is capable of self-governance, transparent reconstruction, and building the state we all aspire to.”

Aoun emphasized that “the Shiites are not the only ones under threat; all of Lebanon is at risk. If one component is weakened, the entire country is weakened.”

He described the appointment of Salam to form the government as “the result of a democratic process that led to a certain outcome. There are additional phases to come. At times, we may have to take a step back, but the public interest remains the priority.”

Aoun said that “any attack on any part of Lebanon is an attack on all of Lebanon. We are pressing for Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.”

The president continued: “Had there been a state and an army in the past, no one would have resorted to resistance.

“The current phase is different. The state bears responsibility, not just a single faction. The entire state and the Lebanese people as a whole are accountable."

He said that it is “not permissible for one group to bear the burden of this conflict (with Israel).”

Aoun recalled the position of Imam Musa Al-Sadr, who advocated for Lebanon’s neutrality in conflicts, noting that Lebanon, given its size, lacks the capacity to engage.

He addressed Sheikh Al-Khatib, saying: “You cannot distance yourselves from the teachings of Imam Al-Sadr; otherwise, you will not belong to the Supreme Islamic Shia Council or the Shiite community. Rest assured that no one will overpower anyone, no one will let anyone down, and no one will break anyone.”

Salam returned from The Hague late on Monday, shortly after being handed the responsibility of forming the government.

On Tuesday he met with the president and, for a brief period, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri joined the meeting.

According to protocol, Salam delivered his first address to the Lebanese people from the presidential palace, stating his “commitment to the challenging task of serving Lebanon.”

Salam said: “I listened to some concerns yesterday. I am not one of those who exclude or marginalize anyone; rather, I advocate for unity and national partnership, and my hands are extended to all to initiate reforms so that no citizen feels marginalized.”

He added: “The time has come to begin a new chapter rooted in justice, security, progress and opportunities for Lebanon to be a country of free people equal in rights and duties … working to extend the authority of the state over all its territories.”

Salam emphasized the need for the government “to formulate a comprehensive program aimed at fostering a productive economy and ensuring job opportunities for future generations.”

He said: “A significant portion of our population still have their homes destroyed, as well as their institutions, and we must rebuild the villages in the Bekaa, the south and Beirut. Reconstruction is not just a promise but a commitment.”

He also underscored the importance of executing the Taif Agreement, saying: “The foundation of the long-anticipated reforms lies in addressing the provisions of the Taif Agreement that remain unfulfilled and rectifying those that have been implemented.”

Salam called for “the establishment of extensive administrative decentralization, delivering justice to the victims of the port explosion, and compensating depositors who have suffered financial losses.”

He said: “I will guarantee that no citizen experiences feelings of injustice, marginalization, or exclusion.”

Furthermore, Salam highlighted the urgent need to focus on “the complete implementation of Resolution 1701 and the terms of the ceasefire agreement, reinforcing the state’s authority across all its territories, and ensuring the withdrawal of the Israeli army from every part of Lebanon.”

The French Foreign Ministry congratulated Salam on his appointment, wishing him “every success in carrying out his mission, at this historic time for Lebanon. France very much hopes that a strong government, capable of bringing Lebanon together in all its diversity, may be formed as soon as possible to carry out the reforms essential for the recovery of Lebanon and its state, to allow the return of prosperity for the Lebanese people and the restoration of Lebanon’s security and sovereignty throughout its territory.

“The Lebanese premier will be able to count on France’s full support in its missions, to the benefit of all Lebanese people,” the ministry added.

Lebanon’s grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, said that “facilitating the task of the designated prime minister to form a comprehensive national government composed of experts and qualified individuals is a national duty.”

After his meeting with Sheikh Derian, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Al-Bukhari said: “The Kingdom will always stand by Lebanon and its people.”

He expressed his “satisfaction with the completion of the presidential elections and parliamentary consultations, which promote unity among the Lebanese people and steer Lebanon toward a renaissance both economically and developmentally, in order to pave the way for the reform process and restore the trust of the Arab and international communities.”

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes resumed their incursions into Lebanese airspace, particularly over Beirut and the southern suburbs.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese army raided the Sadiq compound in Al-Aamroussieh after receiving reports of weapons and ammunition stored underground. But after searching the area — previously targeted by Israel — the army found no weapons or ammunition.


Kuwaiti emir visits UK for first time as monarch

Kuwaiti emir visits UK for first time as monarch
Updated 20 sec ago
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Kuwaiti emir visits UK for first time as monarch

Kuwaiti emir visits UK for first time as monarch
  • Sheikh Meshal visited UK 4 times as crown prince
  • British-Kuwaiti ties date back to 1899 Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement

LONDON: Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited the UK on Tuesday for the first time since becoming head of state in December 2023.

Sheikh Meshal accepted a personal invitation from King Charles III to visit the UK, marking another milestone in the 125-year relationship between the two countries, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

It is Sheikh Meshal’s first visit to the UK as a monarch; however, he traveled to the UK four times as crown prince.

In September 2022, he represented the late Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in offering condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

He attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in May 2023, and in August, he met former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak during the 70th anniversary celebration of the Kuwait Investment Office in London.

The emir’s visit highlights the strong historical ties between Kuwait and the UK, which date back to the 1899 Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement, as well as mutual respect, shared interests and cooperation on regional and global issues, KUNA added.


How Middle East conflicts are exacerbating global hunger and jeopardizing a generation

How Middle East conflicts are exacerbating global hunger and jeopardizing a generation
Updated 24 min 35 sec ago
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How Middle East conflicts are exacerbating global hunger and jeopardizing a generation

How Middle East conflicts are exacerbating global hunger and jeopardizing a generation
  • Children in Sudan and Gaza face malnutrition, resulting in stunted growth, developmental delays, and cognitive challenges
  • During famine, many succumb to cholera or malaria as malnourished bodies have depleted resistance, experts warn

DUBAI: Conflicts in the Middle East have intensified the global hunger crisis, leaving more children vulnerable to malnutrition and developmental issues, potentially jeopardizing the future of an entire generation.

Globally, almost 160 million people are in need of urgent assistance to stave off hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, a global partnership that measures food insecurity.

While economic turmoil and climate extremes are among the top drivers of rising hunger worldwide, it is the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan that are the primary causes in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to the Global Report on Food Crises.

These conflicts, which have triggered mass displacements, disrupted supply chains and led to a significant drop in agricultural production, have deepened existing food insecurity for millions of people in an already climate stressed region.

In 2024, more than 41 million people were acutely food insecure across the MENA region, according to the latest figures of the World Food Programme.

There are no official figures on hunger-related deaths in Sudan. (AFP)



Almost half of these were in Sudan, where 24.6 million people are facing acute malnutrition, including 638,000 living in famine conditions and 8.1 million teetering on the brink of mass starvation.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which broke out on April 15, 2023, has displaced at least 10 million people, making it the world’s largest internal displacement crisis.

The IPC’s declaration of a famine in Sudan marks only the third formal famine determination since the international famine monitoring system was established two decades ago. Previous classifications were made in Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017, and South Sudan again in 2020.

Children are bearing the brunt of Sudan’s hunger crisis.

Timmo Gaasbeek, a food security expert who has worked in Sudan, said that it is often infants and young children who are among the first to succumb to malnutrition and starvation during times of famine.

“Young children, and the elderly, are more vulnerable than adults, and will be at higher risk of death due to different diseases like diarrhea or malaria,” Gaasbeek told Arab News.

“In famines, most people die of diseases that their bodies have no resistance to because of hunger, rather than of lack of food itself.”

As of November 2024, an estimated 4.7 million children under the age of five, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, were suffering from acute malnutrition in Sudan, according to WFP.

Palestinian health authorities and the World Peace Foundation expect the number of children who have succumbed to hunger in Gaza to be far higher than official estimates. (AFP)



Even in areas where famine has not been declared, persistent hunger and malnutrition can also ultimately result in death. “Even a 35 percent deficit in energy intake can be fatal if sustained long enough,” Gaasbeek said.

“Millions of people in Sudan are currently at this level of hunger, or worse.”

Widespread hunger in Sudan has been compounded by a sharp economic decline, high food prices, and weather extremes combined with poor sanitation, which has triggered a deadly cholera outbreak, creating what has been dubbed “the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis.”

As of December, the IPC had declared famine in five areas, including Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al-Salam in North Darfur. People in five other areas of North Darfur, including the besieged Al-Fasher, could face starvation by May. A further 17 areas are at risk of famine-level malnutrition.

As a result of the fighting and other logistical challenges, it took three months for a WFP aid convoy to reach Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, home to 500,000 people and the first area where famine was declared in August.

“The combination of fighting around North Darfur’s capital Al-Fasher, and impassable roads brought on by the rainy season from June to September, severed incoming transport of food assistance for months,” WFP said in a statement at the time.

Access was only made possible after Sudanese authorities agreed to temporarily open the Adre border crossing from Chad into Darfur until February 2025.

This aid was a drop in the ocean, however, as the destruction of Sudanese farming has set the country back years.

An internally displaced women sits next to a World Food Programme truck during a food distribution in Bentiu. (AFP)



Gaasbeek said that it would take about 800,000 tons of food aid in 2026 and 400,000 tons in 2027 to minimize hunger-related deaths in Sudan, which can only happen if the war ends before the start of the next planting season in June 2025.

“The key to stopping hunger in Sudan is getting more food into the country,” he said.

About two thirds of grain consumed in Sudan is produced locally, and commercial imports provide about a third. However, those two aspects are affected by the war and economic collapse.

“Commercial imports are maxed out at the moment as consumers have limited purchasing power and numerous logistical and financial challenges hindering food distribution,” Gaasbeek said.

“Companies have limited resources to import more. This means that the only thing that can make a difference this year is an increase in food aid imports.”

He estimates that if aid deliveries remain limited, some 6 million people could die from hunger in 2025. “If the conflict continues unabated, or worse escalates further, both food production and imports would stagnate, requiring very high levels of food aid to prevent mass starvation.”

While there are no official figures on hunger-related deaths in Sudan, Gaasbeek estimates that hunger and disease killed about 500,000 people in 2024 — about one percent of the population.

INNUMBERS

• 18.2m Children born into hunger in 2024 — or 35 every minute — according to Save the Children.

• 5 percent Rise in the number of children born into hunger in 2024 compared to a year earlier, according to UN FAO.


“It is not unrealistic, especially that the deaths of children are not very visible,” he said.

On Jan. 6, the UN launched a $4.2 billion call for funding to assist 20.9 million of the 30.4 million people across Sudan who are now in desperate need. More than half of them are children.

In late December, the Sudanese government rejected the IPC’s conclusions that famine was now rife in Sudan, accusing the organization of procedural and transparency failings and of failing to use updated field data.

The IPC had requested access to other areas at risk of famine in South Darfur, Al-Jazirah and Khartoum to gain data on the situation, but the government has been accused of stonewalling such efforts.

Sudan is not the only hunger hotspot in the MENA region.



The war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, has displaced some 90 percent of Gaza’s two million people and has led to high levels of acute food insecurity, with half the population expected to face extreme malnutrition.

On Nov. 9, the Famine Review Committee issued an alert warning of “imminent famine” in the besieged northern Gaza, where the World Health Organization estimates some 75,000 inhabitants remain.

With some 70 percent of Gaza’s crop fields destroyed, and with shops, factories and bakeries damaged or destroyed, domestic food manufacture has all but collapsed, according to the IPC. (AFP)


Many of the displaced are battling frigid winter temperatures in squalid tents, frequently flooded by heavy rain in south and central Gaza, without consistent access to food or medical services.

Early in the conflict, Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, severely limiting the amount of humanitarian aid that was permitted to enter. Tighter restrictions have been imposed on northern Gaza since last October, as Israel intensifies efforts to weed out Hamas fighters.

In December, Israeli authorities allowed only two aid convoys to enter northern Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, exacerbating the hunger crisis.

With some 70 percent of Gaza’s crop fields destroyed, and with shops, factories and bakeries damaged or destroyed, domestic food manufacture has all but collapsed, according to the IPC.

As in Sudan, the burden of food scarcity has fallen on vulnerable children. In June, the WHO recorded 32 deaths from malnutrition, including 28 children under the age of five.

“Over 8,000 children under five years old have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children with severe acute malnutrition,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said at the time.

However, Palestinian health authorities and the World Peace Foundation expect the number of children who have succumbed to hunger in Gaza to be far higher than official estimates.

A woman bakes bread in a traditional clay oven at a makeshift displacement camp in Khan Yunis. (AFP)


More than 96 percent of women and children in Gaza cannot meet their basic nutritional needs, as they survive on rationed flour, lentils, pasta and canned goods — a diet that slowly compromises their health, according to the UN children’s fund, UNICEF.

For children, the impact of malnutrition on development can be irreversible.

“It affects their mental capacities and can put them at risk of physical challenges including stunted growth, delayed puberty, weakened immunity and increased risk of chronic diseases, vision and hearing impairments,” Dr. Yazeed Mansour Alkhawaldeh, a former health specialist at Medecins Sans Frontieres, told Arab News.

“Such circumstances can impact children’s cognitive and emotional development as well, resulting in a lower IQ and poor academic performance. They are also more prone to develop anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”

 


Egypt’s El-Sisi, Biden discuss Gaza ceasefire, hostages-for-prisoners swap deal, Egypt presidency says

Egypt’s El-Sisi, Biden discuss Gaza ceasefire, hostages-for-prisoners swap deal, Egypt presidency says
Updated 45 min 11 sec ago
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Egypt’s El-Sisi, Biden discuss Gaza ceasefire, hostages-for-prisoners swap deal, Egypt presidency says

Egypt’s El-Sisi, Biden discuss Gaza ceasefire, hostages-for-prisoners swap deal, Egypt presidency says
  • They also discussed a hostages-for-prisoners exchange deal

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Joe Biden discussed in a phone call on Tuesday the ongoing mediation efforts by Cairo, Doha and Washington to reach a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
They also discussed a hostages-for-prisoners exchange deal, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the Egyptian leader said "the two presidents reviewed the latest developments in the negotiations and stressed the importance of the concerned parties' commitment to overcoming obstacles and showing the necessary flexibility to reach an agreement".


Israel army says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

Israeli security officers oversee the removal of part of a missile fired from Yemen a day earlier.
Israeli security officers oversee the removal of part of a missile fired from Yemen a day earlier.
Updated 17 min 19 sec ago
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Israel army says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

Israeli security officers oversee the removal of part of a missile fired from Yemen a day earlier.
  • The military had previously said it made “several attempts” to shoot down the missile, adding it had “likely” succeeded
  • It later reported that shrapnel from the missile “fell inside a civilian house” in the community of Mevo Beitar, near Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Tuesday that it had “successfully intercepted” a missile fired from Yemen that sent sirens blaring across the center of the country in the early morning hours.
“An examination by the IAF (Israel air force) and the Home Front Command found that the missile fired from Yemen toward Israeli territory was successfully intercepted,” the army said in a statement.
The military had previously said it made “several attempts” to shoot down the missile, adding it had “likely” succeeded.
It later reported that shrapnel from the missile “fell inside a civilian house” in the community of Mevo Beitar, near Jerusalem, and that additional shrapnel was found in the nearby town of Tzur Hadassah.
Tuesday’s attack came less than a day after Yemen’s Houthis said they had launched a missile toward the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, which Israeli forces said was intercepted “prior to crossing into Israeli territory.”
The Houthis also claimed the Tuesday morning attack, saying they had launched a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at “occupied Jaffa,” a reference to Tel Aviv.
Later on Tuesday the militia claimed to have launched two attacks on Israel. The Israeli military did not issue any alerts or report intercepting any projectiles.
There were no sirens in either city and the Israeli military did not mention any incidents.
The Iran-backed Houthis have pledged to continue their attacks until “the end of the aggression against the Palestinians.”
Since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The militia controls swathes of Yemen, and Israel has struck Houthi targets several times inside the country including in the capital Sanaa.


France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week

France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week
Updated 14 January 2025
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France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week

France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week
  • On Monday, Aoun named judge and diplomat Nawaf Salam as prime minister

BEIRUT: French leader Emmanuel Macron is slated to visit Lebanon on Friday, both countries said, in the second such trip by a head of state since Lebanon elected a president last week.
The office of new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he met with the French ambassador to Beirut on Tuesday to discuss preparations for Macron’s visit. Macron’s office confirmed the date.
The trip comes after Lebanese lawmakers on Thursday elected Aoun president after two years of the position being vacant, under international pressure including from former colonial power France.
On Monday, Aoun named judge and diplomat Nawaf Salam as prime minister, giving him the tricky task of forming a cabinet to save the nation from five years of blistering economic crisis.
Macron’s office said the French president hoped to mark “the unwavering commitment of France to support Lebanon, its sovereignty and unity.”
Macron visited the country twice after a massive explosion at Beirut’s port in 2020 killed more than 220 people and decimated half the city.
His latest trip comes after a ceasefire in November, announced by Macron and US President Joe Biden, ended two months of all-out war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Under that deal, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.
“The trip will also be the occasion to work on the implementation of the ceasefire... and to reiterate France’s commitment toward this within UNIFIL,” his office said.
Macron said on Monday said Salam’s appointment of Salam represented “hope for change” in Lebanon.
Macron’s office said he hoped Salam’s government could be both “strong” and “represent all the diversity of the Lebanese people.”
A Paris conference on aid for Lebanon in October raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid in the Mediterranean country.