Swiss and UN Delegations Review Tyre Disaster Management Unit's Work

Hassan Dabouq, head of the Tyre Municipalities Union, welcomed Patricia Danzi, director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Lebanon, leading a delegation from the agency, along with a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees headed by resident representative Carolina Lindholm Billing. The visit aimed to examine the situation in the Tyre area and southern Lebanon, focusing on crisis response mechanisms, particularly during the Israeli aggression period.

During the meeting, Dabouq provided a detailed presentation on the responsibilities of the Disaster Management Unit and its operational mechanisms in crisis management and emergency response, especially throughout the war period. He highlighted the unit's role in coordinating between municipalities, official institutions, and humanitarian organizations to mitigate crisis impacts and enhance preparedness.

He also praised the role played by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon, noting that both were the primary partners in establishing the Disaster Management Unit within the Tyre Municipalities Union and supporting it to perform its duties efficiently during various crises.

Subsequently, Murtada Mahna, the unit's director, conducted a tour of the Disaster Management Unit's operations room, outlining the main challenges faced by the unit in recent periods, particularly under difficult security and humanitarian conditions. He also reviewed achievements in relief efforts, data collection, shelter management, and coordination with local and international partners.

The visiting delegations commended the efforts of the Disaster Management Unit at the Tyre Municipalities Union, emphasizing the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination to support local communities and strengthen their capacity to confront crises and meet humanitarian needs.

At the conclusion of the visit, the delegations, accompanied by the union president and the Disaster Management Unit's first response team, toured several sites and neighborhoods severely damaged by Israeli attacks on the city of Tyre. They observed the extent of damage to homes and infrastructure and received explanations regarding the efforts made during the aggression period in emergency response, relief, crisis management, debris removal, support for affected residents, and assessing the overall damage caused by the aggression.