"Our raison d'être as a humanity is only valid if we are capable of solidarity and empathy for the most fragile, that if we are capable of opening ourselves to the suffering of others,” the ambassador said.
Rabat – Morocco’s Permanent Ambassador to UNESCO, Samir Addahre, called upon the UN agency to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting the rehabilitation of schools and heritage sites in Beirut.
Addahre, who spoke at a special meeting of the UN, highlighted Morocco’s support for the Lebanese people following the tragic August 4 explosions in Beirut.
“The role that UNESCO is called upon to play in the essential aspects of its mandate … is essential,” he said.
He said that tens of thousands of pupils and students in Beirut, estimated at 85,000, were deprived of education after the incident.
The Moroccan ambassador said that more than 300,000 inhabitants of Beirut are homeless due to the tragedy coupled with the COVID-19 crisis and economic issues.
Adahrane recalled that King Mohammed VI is “personally following” developments in Beirut.
He recalled Morocco’s initiative to send eight planes loaded with humanitarian aid and the military field hospital set up to assist victims of the explosions.
The military field hospital includes 150 staff, including 45 doctors.
The permanent ambassador concluding his statement by stressing that humanity is “only valid if we are capable of solidarity and empathy for the most fragile, that if we are capable of opening ourselves to the suffering of others.”
Sahar Bassiri, the ambassador of Lebanon to UNESCO, thanked King Mohammed VI for his continuous support for the Lebanese people.
She said she had the opportunity to visit the Morocco’s field hospital in Beirut and said she was “deeply moved by the professionalism, availability and humanism of the Moroccan teams.”
Several Lebanese politicians and celebrities thanked Morocco for the aid, including iconic singers Walid Toufic and Ramy Ayach.
