Former Social Affairs Minister and President of the Rene Moawad Foundation Nayla Moawad welcomed Thursday a high-ranking Belgian delegation led by Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development and Cooperation Alexander De Croo.

The delegation, which included Belgium Ambassador to Lebanon Alex Enyart and head of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Johan Belman, visited the Rene Moawad Foundation’s Children Education and Social Services Center in Bab al-Tebaneh, Tripoli.

“Our visit to this particular area holds great significance because Bab al-Tabaneh region was, until very recently, a conflict zone. Citizens, who chose to change this reality, represent the driving force behind this center, which needs support in order to grow and advance,” Moawad said following a tour throughout the center.

Moawad stressed that education represents a pillar of any strategy to fight extremism since ignorance and poverty provide a fertile breeding ground for terrorism and extremism.

“Thus, we should be proud of this center and the people who worked hard to ensure its success,” Moawad said.

“We have suffered a lot and the situation in Lebanon remains difficult amid an economic crisis. And this why were are seeking support to fight extremism and terrorism and preserve Lebanon as a model for coexistence and pluralism,” she added.

As part of a project funded by OCHA, the Rene Moawad Foundation will seek to expand the center to welcome an increasing number of children.

De Croo said he was pleased to cooperate with OCHA to support this project.

“This project demonstrates the importance of choosing the right partners who understand how projects are managed and support them to grow and expand,” he said.

OCHA Director Johan Belman said it is the duty of humanitarian agencies to fund the projects that not only benefit Syrian refugees but also host communities particularly since Lebanon has become home to the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita in the world.