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.



One in 10 Children Screened in UNRWA Clinics are Malnourished

Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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One in 10 Children Screened in UNRWA Clinics are Malnourished

Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Gaza City, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

One in 10 children screened in clinics run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gaza since 2024 has been malnourished, the agency said on Tuesday.

"Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, told reporters in Geneva via a video link from Amman, Jordan.

Since January 2024, UNRWA said it had screened more than 240,000 boys and girls under the age of five in its clinics, adding that before the war, acute malnutrition was rarely seen in the Gaza Strip.

"One nurse that we spoke to told us that in the past, he only saw these cases of malnutrition in textbooks and documentaries," Reuters quoted Touma as saying.

"Medicine, nutrition supplies, hygiene material, fuel are all rapidly running out," Touma said.

On May 19, Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume. However, UNRWA continues to be banned from bringing aid into the enclave.

Israel and the United States have accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing from UN-led aid operations - which Hamas denies. They have instead set up the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, using private US security and logistics firms to transport aid to distribution hubs, which the UN has refused to work with.

On Monday, UNICEF said that last month more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza, including more than 1,000 children with severe, acute malnutrition. It said it was an increase for the fourth month in a row.