The election was met with jubilant applause in parliament as Aoun clinched the presidency, breaking a streak of failed attempts due to tensions between the Hezbollah movement and its opponents, derailing over a dozen previous votes.

The Mediterranean nation has been without a president since the term of Michel Aoun, who is not related to Joseph Aoun, ended in late 2022. The extended political impasse had drawn increasing international pressure, especially with only 17 days remaining in a ceasefire agreement requiring Lebanese troops to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon following last autumn’s Hezbollah-Israel conflict.

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Kuwait has expressed its readiness to help Lebanon in re-operating the Beirut port that was devastated by an explosion on August 4.

Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Sabah Al Nasser Al Sabah, who is the Director General of Kuwait’s Ports Authority and also President of the Arab Sea Ports Federation, said on that the Ports Authority is ready to provide all necessary assistance for the re-operation of the country’s ports. It also offered help with food security.

During a meeting with Lebanese Charge d’Affairs to Kuwait Basil Oweidat, Sheikh Al Sabah discussed the reconstruction and re-operation of the port as well as the development of the Lebanese ports in Tripoli, Sidon and Tyre. He said his country will provide all economic and strategic studies in the field of port development to Lebanon.

The United Arab Emirates has continued to dispatch aid to Lebanon to help with emergency relief efforts on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

On August 12, Dubai’s International Humanitarian City airlifted aid material worth US$1.4 million on an Emirates SkyCargo plane. The aid included almost 25 metric tonnes of medical supplies and personal protective equipment, including surgical masks, goggles, gowns, coveralls, N95 respirators, stretchers and thermometers, which had been prepositioned within International Humanitarian City by the World Health Organisation.

On August 13, the fourth UAE aid plane arrived in Lebanon equipped with around 100 tons of medicines, food, and nutritional supplements for children, in addition to other aid supplies.

The move follows the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent, overseen by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and Chairman of ERC. Sheikha Fatima had already donated AED10 million in the aftermath of the explosion as part of the ERC’s relief programmes in Lebanon.

The plane also carried an ERC delegation which will be fulfilling various humanitarian duties like delivering aid, assessing the situation on the ground, and identifying further needs.

H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, called on Arab countries to support the Lebanese people pointing out that Lebanon was and is still part of the Arab nation.

Less than 24 hours after The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a Sharjah-based global humanitarian charity, announced a global campaign to provide emergency relief for the blast victims, a 90-minute live fundraising event hosted on Sharjah TV’s popular Direct Line (Al Khat Al Mubasher) programme on August 12 successfully raised AED 30.74 million with dozens of charitable individuals and organisations calling in to make generous contributions. They donated amounts ranging from AED 5,000 to AED 6 million during the programme.

An estimated 70 tonnes of basic food aid was airlifted on August 11 by Ajman’s International Humanitarian and Charity Organisation upon the directives of H.H. Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman.

Saudi Arabia has sent as many as four plane of aid so far, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief). The fourth despatch included 90 tons of medicines, burn treatment supplies, intravenous fluids, masks, sanitizers, and surgical sutures, Saudi Press Agency said.

King Abdullah II of Jordan on August 12 instructed that a military field hospital be sent to Lebanon as a rescue unit. He also highlighted Jordan’s readiness to provide any support needed.

As per the royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultanate of Oman continues to operate relief flights to Lebanon to help the authorities deal with the aftermath of the explosion. The relief flights, operated by the Royal Air Force of Oman, carries various medical supplies and essential humanitarian items onboard.

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The UAE will sponsor children who have lost their parents in the deadly explosion at Beirut port on August 4 that killed at least 158 people and injured more than 6,000. This was announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and chairman of Emirates Red Crescent.

The ERC and the Humanitarian Aid Office of the UAE Embassy in Beirut will identify the orphans and affected families. The programme will take care of the basic needs of the victims and help to rebuild their homes.

The initiative called ‘From UAE and For Lebanon’ will be in two phases. The first, from August 10 to 25, will collect and prepare humanitarian goods needed in Lebanon, while the second, from August 15 to September 12 will assess material needed in the reconstruction effort.

Volunteers will help organise the material in the UAE, while qualified engineers will be asked to volunteer for the second phase of the programme.

The UAE has since sent tens of millions of dirhams worth of aid to Lebanon and 12 tonnes of protective equipment to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The day after the blast, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, directed the despatch of 30 tonnes of medical equipment and aid to Beirut in his personal aircraft.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan donated 12 tonnes of protective equipment to safeguard more than 10,000 frontline medical staff in Lebanon.

A UAE plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of critical medical and food supplies as well as nutritional supplements for children reached Beirut on August 8. The humanitarian aid was sent on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

In Sharjah, an emergency aid and relief campaign called ‘Salam Beirut’ was announced by Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah; Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children at UNHCR. Donations to the ‘Salam Beirut’ drive can be made via SMS, bank transfers, cheques or cash.

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