BEIRUT, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and donor countries approved Lebanon's 2025 Response Plan during a meeting on Thursday.

According to the official National News Agency, the plan outlines a funding need of 2 billion U.S. dollars for implementation, with donor pledges expected to reach 1 billion dollars.

Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri emphasized the importance of "striving for sustainable working models that go beyond humanitarian aid," stressing "the trust relationship between the government and international partners and the ongoing cooperation in line with national priorities in the sectors of health, education, environmental preservation, renewable energy, and water."

Minister of Social Affairs Hanine al-Sayed said that humanitarian aid should be better integrated with national protection systems to pave the way for long-term social development. She also underscored the need to "enhance support for the return plan of Syrian displaced persons and to assist them within Syria."

Imran Riza, UN's deputy special coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, called for "reducing reliance on emergency aid and strengthening the role of the state," emphasizing "the necessity of reform."

The Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) 2025 is a unified humanitarian and stabilization framework co-led by the Lebanese government and the United Nations to address the immediate and medium-term needs of vulnerable populations in the country. It operates as a two-year framework (2024-2025) with annual planning. ■