Following the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023 and since the intensification of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon on September 23, 2024, nearly a million Lebanese have been forced to move to flee the bombings and the fights. Nearly a thousand civilian victims are also to be deplored. The displaced populations are trying to find refuge in areas less impacted by the bombings, notably the city of Saïda, the second largest city in the country.
The Métropole du Grand Nancy maintains a close relationship with Saïda, a partner city, with which a tripartite cooperation agreement was established with the Métropole du Grand Nancy and the City of Nancy in 2023, in order to develop exchanges in the field of youth , citizen participation and the local economy. Already in 2020, the Metropolis of Greater Nancy had contributed to the Solidarity Fund for Lebanon opened by United Cities France, in order to provide support to the Lebanese population and communities during the tragic explosions that occurred in the port of Beirut.
Last Monday, December 16, elected officials from the cities of Saïda and Nancy met to address the current situation, the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, assess the repercussions in Lebanon of the evolution of the situation in Syria and take stock of the cooperation project between the cities of Nancy, Saïda and the Greater Nancy Metropolis with the support of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The Greater Nancy Metropolis regularly provides support to vulnerable populations affected by these crises. During the metropolitan council on December 19, 2024, it reaffirmed its intentions and allocated an exceptional grant of €10,000 paid to United Cities Lebanon / Technical Bureau of Lebanese Cities, for the benefit of the City of Saïda. This sum will be dedicated to the purchase of essential equipment to enable the city and its Crisis Management Unit to come to the aid of affected vulnerable populations and refugee families in Saïda.
