Chinese peacekeepers at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) each received a UN medal Wednesday for their contribution in the UN mission in southern Lebanon.
A medal ceremony was held at the Chinese troops' camp in Hanniyah village, southern Lebanon. Among those present at were the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UNIFIL Stefano Del Col, Chinese ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian, and representatives of the Lebanese armed forces and fellow peacekeepers.
In awarding the medal, Major General Del Col said, "The medal you will receive today is a sign of appreciation for your important contribution to the UNIFIL Mission, a precious memory that will stay with you as a reminder of your work in Lebanon."
Del Col praised the Chinese peacekeepers for their hard work, bravery and determination.
"I want to thank all of you for the job you carry out with professionalism, commitment and dedication, promoting a culture of peace and proactiveness that well contributes to the implementation of our mandate within the framework of Security Council Resolution 1701," he said.
With a total of 410 officers and soldiers assigned in a multi-functional engineer detachment, a construction engineer detachment and a medical detachment, the 17th Chinese peacekeeping unit has been in Lebanon serving the UN Mission since May 2018.
In the past 11 months, Chinese peacekeepers have swept over 6,690 square meters of minefields and cleared over 1,400 mines, completed 68 high standard engineering projects, provided physiotherapy and rehabilitation and clinical services to over 8,600 peacekeepers and humanitarian medical assistance to over 3,500 local villagers.
The UN Security Council established the UNIFIL on March 19, 1978, to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Its mandate was expanded following the 2006 Lebanon War.
Since 2006, China has maintained a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon as a part of UNIFIL, tasked with missions such as mine-sweeping, project construction, medical rescue and humanitarian assistance.
