President Joseph Aoun and Canadian Minister of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, on Aug. 18, 2026, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. (Photo released on the presidency's X account)
BEIRUT — On an official visit to Lebanon, the Canadian Minister for International Development Randeep Sarai, responsible for foreign aid and humanitarian assistance funded by Canada, conveyed his government's intention to help residents of southern Lebanon who have been forcibly displaced due to the war.
Sarai was welcomed Wednesday at the Grand Serail by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a day after his visit to the Presidential Palace in Baabda, where he met with President Joseph Aoun to deliver this message.
At the government headquarters, "the discussions focused on the current situation in Lebanon and the region, on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between Lebanon and Canada," and "on ways for Canada to support state efforts to encourage the return of residents and recovery in South Lebanon, given the limited resources available and the growing scale of needs," according to a statement released after the meeting.
On Tuesday, Aoun told his interlocutor "that Lebanon welcomed Canada's support to help southern Lebanon residents return to their villages and resettle in the areas destroyed by Israel." The Canadian state minister, for his part, reaffirmed his country's commitment to Lebanon's stability, to strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries and to energizing joint programs.
Canada has a significant Lebanese diaspora, estimated at between 200,000 and 400,000 people, according to figures published on the website of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At least 4,346 people have been killed and 12,301 injured in Lebanon by Israeli attacks since the resumption of the war with Hezbollah on March 2. The Israeli army has also caused billions of dollars in destruction and razed at least 24 border villages, according to a figure given by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
