China to assist disaster-affected people with reconstruction efforts in light of Ethiopia's need: spokesman

China is willing to help the Ethiopian people in disaster-stricken areas and assist with their reconstruction efforts in light of Ethiopia's needs, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Lin made the statement in response to a media query about China's response to the deadly landslides in southern Ethiopia triggered by torrential rains.

"Heavy rainfall in Ethiopia has triggered mudslides and landslides, causing significant casualties and property damage. China expresses deep condolences for the victims and extends sincere sympathies to their families. We believe that under the leadership of the Ethiopian government, the people in the affected area will surely overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes soon. China is willing to provide assistance within its capacity for the people in the disaster-stricken areas and post-disaster reconstruction in light of Ethiopia's needs," said Lin.

The Ethiopian parliament declared a three-day national mourning starting from Saturday after at least 107 citizens lost their lives in the deadly landslides.

The landslides occurred on last Tuesday night, as torrential rains triggered massive soil shifts in the Gamo Zone of the Southern Ethiopia Regional State.

China to assist disaster-affected people with reconstruction efforts in light of Ethiopia's need: spokesman

The 24th Chinese Peacekeeping Force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has completed a high-risk unexploded ordnance clearance mission, assisting Indonesian forces near the UNIFIL headquarters amid escalating tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Since the beginning of March, escalating tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have forced UNIFIL to suspend all peacekeeping tasks outside patrols and routine duties. When the urgent ordnance mission was assigned, the Chinese peacekeeping command convened key personnel overnight to assess the situation, evaluate risks, and draw up a plan.

With rapid execution and strong technical skills, Chinese peacekeepers successfully opened more than 4,500 meters of secure roads and thoroughly eliminated and marked potential hazards along the routes, building a safety shield for the Indonesian force to conduct normalized patrols.

Chinese peacekeepers complete high-risk ordnance mission amid Lebanon border tensions