For decades, France and Lebanon have maintained strong relations: diplomatic relations, notably with President Chirac, humanitarian aid from the French government in 1989, solidarity through Secours Populaire in the 2000s…
Report on the official visit of Jacques CHIRAC to Lebanon. This is the first visit by a foreign head of state since the end of the civil war. Jacques CHIRAC declares before the parliament that he wants a "free, independent and sovereign Lebanon". Interview with Ghassan TUEINI, CEO of the newspaper An Anobar, who reacted to the remarks of Jacques CHIRAC. Jacques CHIRAC at a reception gives a speech and raises a glass in Lebanon, to his happiness and to his friendship with France.
Excerpt from Roland DUMAS’s speech before the National Assembly on the humanitarian and medical aid that France will send to Lebanon: "We announce that the government will send a humanitarian aid boat that will sail in the following hours. We want to give the people of Lebanon all the necessary aid (humanitarian, medical, oil) failing which the country will be paralyzed. A second boat will sail for the injured".
The French government has decided to send to Lebanon 2 boats of the National Navy in order to provide assistance to the Lebanese civilians victims of the civil war: a civilian oil tanker, PENHORS, and LA RANCE, hospital ship of the French navy. At Toulon, the RANCE was docked, and the sailors were busy with departure manoeuvres. Interview Jean Yves JARNET, Medical Doctor Major: he evokes the medical equipment of La Rance and the personnel used to intervene in emergency situations. Interview Captain BONNEVILLE, captain of La Rance, on the mission of his ship.
Solidarity actions with Lebanon are multiplying everywhere in France. Example among others: these vigils organized every evening in Lille. In the region Le Secours Populaire is preparing to send food to the area. It is not always easy to centralize the various operations, and the routing of collections is a problem. COM Semolina, milk, rice, but also hygiene products, in total, 25 tonnes. The humanitarian convoy will leave Monday under army escort, in the direction of Beirut and Saida. There, Le Secours Populaire français will pass the baton to its counterpart, Le Secours Populaire libanais, which was born at the beginning of the Lebanon war in 1975. Interview CALLENS For 30 years, Le Secours Populaire has been working with Lebanese people, and is well aware of the plight of the victims and the plight of displaced populations. Today, the most difficult is to transport goods, the access roads to Lebanon are cut. So Le Secours Populaire offers small isolated associations to take advantage of its secure convoy. 3 weeks of conflict, the mobilization around Lebanon is organized and associations meet, work together with the same will: to help civilians. Interview ZAKKA The first convoy has not yet left and we are already thinking about the next one. Volunteers contact donors. In the region, 13,000 euros have already been collected..