The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, arrived in Beirut on Friday for a visit aimed at showing solidarity with Lebanon. This visit was arranged after he shortened his stay in Turkey, where he had participated in Ramadan observances and urged global efforts to eliminate Islamophobia.
Guterres, a seasoned Portuguese Socialist, has consistently emphasized the importance of honoring Islam, particularly during Ramadan. He believes that the values celebrated during this holy month, such as hope and peace, are crucial for societal prosperity.
According to AFP, during his visit, Guterres intends to highlight the urgent humanitarian needs in Lebanon, where over 800,000 people have been displaced due to ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group.
Taking to social media platform X, Guterres stated, “I have just landed in Beirut for a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon. They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it.”
He further pledged, “The UN and I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon and this region so richly deserve.”
The United Nations announced plans to launch an emergency appeal for funds during Guterres’ visit. Additionally, its migration agency indicated a requirement of $19 million to sustain operations over the coming three months.
The U.N. said an emergency appeal for funds is to be launched during his visit as its own migration agency said that it needed $19 million to cover operations over the next three months.
“Humanitarian needs are rising faster than the response,” Mathieu Luciano, the Lebanon mission chief for the International Organization for Migration, told reporters in Geneva per AFP.
Lebanon entered the Middle East conflict over the past seven days when Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists used it as a base to attack Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his wife Emine Erdogan and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres together after Erdogan presents the Ataturk International Peace Prize to Antonio Guterres in Ankara, Turkiye, on March 12, 2026. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Handout/Anadolu via Getty)
Israel expanded its retaliatory strikes in Lebanon on Friday, targeting multiple areas, including a bridge over the Litani River it observed Hezbollah had been using as a passageway for its terrorist fighters.
Meanwhile Hezbollah launched fresh attacks against Israeli forces as it ignores all calls to disarm
