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2020.09.27 21:07 GMT+8

Chinese peacekeepers join UN mission in Beirut's post-blasts cleanup

Updated 2020.09.27 21:07 GMT+8

The second echelon of China's 19th batch of peacekeeping forces to Lebanon left Kunming Changshui International Airport, southwest China's Yunnan Province for their destination, August 18, 2020. /People's Daily

The first batch of 20 Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon arrived in Beirut on Sunday for the UN mission to clean up and reconstruct the Lebanese capital after huge explosions swept through its port in early August.

The second batch of 21 peacekeepers from China's 19th batch of peacekeeping multi-functional engineer detachment will arrive in Beirut on Tuesday.

Before arrival, the Chinese peacekeeping forces had been to Beirut three times for mission surveys, while preparing measures for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the mission under the command of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Chinese peacekeepers are mainly responsible for the cleanup of materials in the port, the office building of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and the urban streets, as well as the removal of damaged warehouses.

Du Jia, commander of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon, said Chinese officers and soldiers will work with their counterparts at UNIFIL to play an important role in promoting the reconstruction of the area of the port and helping restore the order of local production.

Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on August 4, destroying a large part of the capital city and leaving 300,000 people homeless.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
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