Spanish blue helmets deliver school and medical supplies in Lebanon

•  The XLIII Lebanon Brigade reinforces its commitment to the Lebanese people through charitable donations from Spanish organisations

The blue helmets of the Spanish Brigade (BRILIB XLIII) of UNIFIL have delivered school supplies, sports equipment and toys, as well as sanitary and hygiene supplies to a school and a hospital in Lebanon.

These donations, which are carried out through civil-military cooperation, have been managed and delivered by Commander Jorge Ramillete García, head of the G9 CIMIC section of the Eastern Sector of UNIFIL, led by Spain, and come from organisations in our country.

Firstly, the headmistress of the school in the town of Ebel Es Saqise, Mona Hodaife, received school supplies, sports equipment and toys for the centre, whose main objective is to support the educational and recreational activities of the pupils.

Next, sanitary and hygiene equipment was delivered to the government hospital in Meiss Ej Jebel. This donation will improve medical care and strengthen the centre's operational capacity. The delivery was presided over by the hospital director, Hussein, and took place in the presence of the local mayor, Habib Kabalan.

These initiatives have been made possible thanks to the collaboration of various organisations in the Canary Islands, which have contributed resources and materials. These include Librería Tagoror, Fundación Canaria Satocan Júnguel Sanjuán, Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria Claret SAD, Fundación Canaria Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, Fundación Canaria Club Deportivo Tenerife, Valleseco Town Council, Canarias Medical Product S.L., Clínica San Roque S.A. and Publiservic Canarias S.L.U.

For his part, General Ricardo Esteban Cabrejos, head of UNIFIL's Eastern Sector, highlighted the value of these donations. "They represent a gesture of solidarity and a message of hope. Through them, we want to reaffirm our commitment to the development and well-being of the entire population of southern Lebanon. From the youngest, who are the future, to families facing daily challenges, our mission is to be close, to support and to build together a more just, secure and humane environment. Cooperation between international forces and civil society is the way to strengthen peace and sow trust in every corner of this land."

Spain in UNIFIL

The Spanish Armed Forces were deployed to Lebanon in September 2006. The bulk of the Spanish contingent is stationed at the Miguel de Cervantes base, near the town of Marjayoun, where the headquarters of the Eastern Sector of UNIFIL, led by Spain, is located. There are also Spanish troops at the mission headquarters in Naqoura.

Currently, more than 650 Spanish military personnel are deployed in UNIFIL, with the aim of ensuring compliance with United Nations Resolution 1701, in a very unstable security situation, despite the peace agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon last November.