Lebanon’s Hariri Wraps Up Russia Visit

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov receiving Hariri on Friday (Dalati and Nahra)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov receiving Hariri on Friday (Dalati and Nahra)
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Lebanon’s Hariri Wraps Up Russia Visit

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov receiving Hariri on Friday (Dalati and Nahra)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov receiving Hariri on Friday (Dalati and Nahra)

Lebanese PM-designate Saad Hariri concluded his visit to Moscow Friday by securing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s support for the swift formation of an effective government of experts.

Hariri’s talks with Lavrov came a day after he held a 50-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and met with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Hariri discussed the situation in Lebanon and the need to overcome the socio-economic crisis by forming an effective and technocratic government, which enjoys the support of the main political parties and sectarian factions.

Lavrov affirmed Russia’s firm position in safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as stressing the necessity of resolving the country’s problems without foreign interference.

The discussion touched on the regional situation, including the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon.

Lavrov and Hariri also discussed prospects for improving cooperation, including providing additional assistance to Lebanon in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement issued by Hariri’s press office said Lavrov affirmed Russia's support for his efforts to swiftly form a government to address the crisis and gain Arab and international support.

Talks also focused on the obstacles facing the formation of the government, and the economic crisis.

They also discussed the issue of displaced Syrians and the possibility of Russia providing Lebanon with vaccines to combat the Covid-19 disease.

The meeting with Lavrov was held in the presence of Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, Hariri's Special Envoy to Russia, George Shaaban, Advisor Bassem el-Shab, and other figures.



UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
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UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)

UN officials on Monday asked for $6 billion for Sudan this year from donors to help ease what they called the world's worst ever hunger catastrophe and the mass displacement of people brought on by civil war.

The UN appeal represents a rise of more than 40% from last year's for Sudan at a time when aid budgets around the world are under strain, partly due to a pause in funding announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs across the globe.

The UN says the funds are necessary because the impact of the 22-month war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - that has already displaced a fifth of its population and stoked severe hunger among around half its population - looks set to worsen.

World Food Program chief Cindy McCain, speaking via video to a room full of diplomats in Geneva, said: "Sudan is now the epicenter of the world's largest and most severe hunger crisis ever."

She did not provide figures, but Sudan's total population currently stands at about 48 million people. Among previous world famines, the Bengal Famine of 1943 claimed between 2 million and 3 million lives, according to several estimates, while millions are believed to have died in the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61.

Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, a UN statement said, and this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.

"This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and its gravity and it demands a response unprecedented in scale and intent," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said.

One of the famine-stricken camps was attacked by the RSF last week as the group tries to tighten its grip on its Darfur stronghold.

While some aid agencies say they have received waivers from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains on the extent of coverage for providing famine relief.

The UN plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people within the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response so far for 2025, and requires $4.2 billion - the rest being for those displaced by the conflict.