19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping force is sent to Lebanon in July 2020 (Linked to Record ID#41114)

On July 28, 2020, the nineteenth batch of Chinese peacekeepers was sent to Lebanon as part of the UN Interim Forces In Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The force was composed of 410 peacekeepers, including an engineering unit of 180 people, a construction engineering unit of 200 people, and a medical unit of 30 people.

The group was tasked with humanitarian relief related to engineering and construction, medical treatment, consulting, and advice. Upon arrival, The group participated in a two-week quarantine period before deployment.

On August 5, 2020, fifteen peacekeepers of the 19th batch were informed that they would be deployed to Beirut, Lebanon to respond to the explosion on August 4, 2020 as part of an emergency medical team. They will join members of the eighteenth batch also sent to respond (see Record ID#67574). On July 29, 2021, the first group of the 19th batch returned to China.

Throughout their 2020 mission the 19th batch cleared more than 13,000 square meters of minefields, destroyed more than 2,200 landmines, surveyed 62 blue barrels, maintained 106 blue line channels, destroyed more than 1,300 pieces of expired ammunition, reconstructed the Beirut port, completed more than 90 engineering and construction projects, treated more than 3,600 patients, and vaccinated more than 4,000 UNIFIL officers and soldiers.

China has sent UNFIL peacekeeping forces to Lebanon every year from 2006 to 2020.

The program was temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 on June 30, 2020, but reinstated in August 2020 to respond to the Beirut explosion. See Record ID#41114 for the full project.

For individual project descriptions, see these projects: 1st batch: #67581; 2nd batch: #67578; 3rd batch: #67580; 4th batch #71863; 5th batch #71869; 6th batch: #41110; 7th batch: #67582; 8th batch: #67584; 9th batch: #67587; 10th batch: #67588; 11th batch: #67579; 12 batch: #71901; 13th batch: #67589; 14th batch: #72070; 15th batch: #72071; 16th batch: #66366; 17th batch: #67576; 18th batch: #67574; 19th batch: #72082.