Algeria Vows to be Voice of Africans, Arabs at Security Council

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algerian Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algerian Presidency)
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Algeria Vows to be Voice of Africans, Arabs at Security Council

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algerian Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Algerian Presidency)

Algeria pledged on Tuesday to campaign for an African request that ensures a higher representation of the continent in the UN Security Council by granting it five, instead of three non-permanent seats.

Algeria’s pledges came as the North African country began its two-year mandate as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

On the occasion, Algerian state media published a report saying this year will be devoted to fulfilling the strong commitment repeatedly expressed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to bring the voice of Africa to this central UN body..

Meanwhile, the flag of Sierra Leone was seen Tuesday in the streets of the Algerian capital, announcing the possible visit of its president, Julius Maada Wonie Bio.

The two countries assumed their roles as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, representing the African continent. The Algerian presidency has not announced the visit.



Lebanon Receives First UN Aid Plane since Israel's War

Staff unload a medical aid shipment at the Beirut International Airport - AFP
Staff unload a medical aid shipment at the Beirut International Airport - AFP
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Lebanon Receives First UN Aid Plane since Israel's War

Staff unload a medical aid shipment at the Beirut International Airport - AFP
Staff unload a medical aid shipment at the Beirut International Airport - AFP

A delivery of medical supplies from the United Nations reached Lebanon on Friday, a first since last week's Israeli war on Lebanon, said a UN agency and a Lebanese minister.

"An airlift... landed in Beirut earlier this morning with 30 metric tonnes of trauma and surgical supplies, enough to treat tens of thousands people," the World Health Organization's regional director Hanan Balkhy said on social media platform X.

"More flights are arriving later today and tomorrow, carrying trauma supplies, cholera supplies and mental health supplies," she added, AFP reported.

Rapidly escalating Israeli strikes since September 23 on Lebanon have killed more than 1,100 people in and wounded hundreds more, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Lebanese authorities said the violence has also displaced more than one million people from their homes in the tiny Mediterranean country, already mired in economic and political crises.

Health Minister Firass Abiad was at the Beirut airport on Friday to receive the aid organized by the World Health Organization and UN refugee agency UNHCR and funded by the United Arab Emirates.

"We are receiving the first shipment out of many," he said.

The shipment included "many trauma kits that will be crucial to support the hospitals as they receive the casualties from the Israeli attacks on Lebanon," he added.