Berri, Salam trade barbs over 'neglect' of southern residents

Ain el-Tineh sources hit back overnight at remarks by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam about the government’s performance in war-hit south Lebanon, saying that the situation there is obvious and that the public opinion can easily judge it.

Salam had voiced surprise over statements by Berri, who said that “the government does not care about our people in the South.”

“The first thing I did with a number of colleague ministers, 48 hours before our government won confidence, was making a visit to Tyre, Khiam and Nabatieh to check on our people in the South and listen to them,” Salam said.

The premier added that the Social Affairs Ministry has been paying monthly financial aid to 67,000 families affected by the war and rent assistance to 10,000 displaced families.

“The ministries of telecom, public works and energy have started the necessary maintenance works to restore services in the affected areas. Moreover, we have asked the Council for the South and the High Relief Council to speed up their efforts and we have transferred the necessary funds to them,” Salam said.

“What’s more important is that our government worked on obtaining a $250 million loan from the World Bank to rebuild the infrastructure damaged by the war. But benefiting from this loan is still awaiting the approval of the law related to it in parliament,” the premier added.

“We urge the dear parliament to quickly resume its legislative work in order to approve this law so that our people in the South and and the various regions affected by war can benefit from it. And as I have repeatedly announced, reconstruction is not a promise from me but rather a pledge,” Salam went on to say.