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Le Drian Concludes New Round of Presidential Talks in Lebanon

Le Drian met with Sunni deputies at the Saudi Ambassador’s residence in Beirut. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Le Drian met with Sunni deputies at the Saudi Ambassador’s residence in Beirut. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Le Drian Concludes New Round of Presidential Talks in Lebanon

Le Drian met with Sunni deputies at the Saudi Ambassador’s residence in Beirut. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Le Drian met with Sunni deputies at the Saudi Ambassador’s residence in Beirut. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is set to conclude his mission in Beirut on Friday with a second meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, amid expectations that he would return to Lebanon to facilitate the election of a new president.

The Lebanese parliament has been unable to elect a new president for the country since the end of the term of Michel Aoun on Nov. 1, 2022.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Berri described the discussions with the French envoy as “excellent”. He stressed that dialogue was not only a demand made by Le Drian, “but rather an Arab and international request because it is the only way out of this crisis.”

During his visit to Beirut, Le Drian met separately with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai in Bkirki, and with a number of independent deputies at the French embassy in Beirut. He also held talks with Sunni MPs, in the presence of Grand Mufti Abdullatif Derian and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari at the latter’s residence in Beirut.

MP Ashraf Rifi said the French envoy’s meeting with Sunni representatives was aimed at facilitating the process of electing a president. He pointed to efforts that might lead to a settlement on the election of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.

Referring to Berri’s call for a national dialogue to resolve the presidential crisis, Rifi said: “We expect that the dialogue will be held with whoever attends, and then open election sessions will be called for to elect a president. It is likely that the choice would go towards the Army Commander.”

Meanwhile, the head of foreign relations in the Lebanese Forces party (LF), former minister Richard Koyoumjian, who was present at the meeting that brought together the French envoy and LF chief Samir Geagea, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the French initiative has collapsed.

Parliamentary sources said that Le Drian is expected to visit Berri on Friday to inform him of the outcome of his talks.

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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)

As Yemen marks ten years of conflict and crisis ignited by the Houthis, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the country will face unprecedented challenges this year with expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024.

The Committee said the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) seeks $2.47 billion to reach 10.5 million people—but as of March 2025, it is just 5% funded.

In 2024, the response received just over half of what was required, forcing aid agencies to scale back essential support such as food distributions and limit access to clean water and other services.

Therefore, IRC warned that expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024, threaten to widen this gap even further, placing millions at greater risk of hunger, disease, and further displacement.

The Committee also cautioned that a widening chasm between rising humanitarian needs and the funding required to alleviate them, risks leaving millions of Yemenis without access to food, healthcare and protection services.

In 2025, it said, an estimated 19.5 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection—an increase of nearly 7% compared to 2024. Across the country, more than 83% of the population now lives in poverty.

More than 4.5 million people are now internally displaced with most displaced multiple times over the past decade. IRC teams said they are witnessing rising demand in displacement sites, where families face limited access to food, healthcare and clean water.

“These figures reflect the compounding toll of a crisis that has deepened year after year, leaving families with fewer resources, fewer services and no safe alternatives,” the Committee warned.

For families who have endured years of displacement and insecurity, humanitarian aid has been critical to survival.

“I remember the first time I heard the sounds of war. I felt a fear I had never known before. We lost our home, our livelihood, and most importantly, our sense of security. Living in this camp is a daily struggle with no privacy or safety,” said Abdulnasser Abdullah, a displaced father living in Al Qataysh camp.

He added: “But the healthcare assistance we have received has made a real difference—especially since we can’t afford basic medication or even a simple meal.”

Caroline Sekyewa, IRC’s Country Director in Yemen, said that for ten years, Yemenis have endured relentless conflict, economic collapse, and limited access to lifesaving health and nutrition services.

“Humanitarian aid has been their lifeline-preventing disease outbreaks, delivering healthcare, responding to natural disasters, and helping families to survive,” she said.

For donor governments to consider reducing or removing that support is not just short-sighted, it puts millions of lives at risk, the aid director affirmed.

“Yemen now stands on a precipice and without urgent support, we risk reversing years of hard-fought gains. Ultimately, humanitarian aid on its own cannot end the suffering being felt by millions in Yemen,” she said.

Sekyewa then revealed that last year, humanitarian organizations, in spite of a huge funding shortfall, reached more than 8 million people in need across the country.

“2025 must be a turning point in this crisis. With needs steadily increasing, we call upon all donors to step up and ensure that this year’s humanitarian needs and response plan is fully funded,” she affirmed.