World leaders pledged almost US$300 million to help support Lebanon and rebuild Beirut after the deadly blast last week that destroyed a huge swath of the city.
Leaders from more than two dozen countries on Sunday participated in a virtual donors’ conference cohosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN.
The participants pledged to bring together “major resources” in the coming weeks to address the needs of Beirut and the Lebanese people, the participants said in a final statement.
Photo: AP
“In these horrendous times, Lebanon is not alone,” the statement said.
The leaders pledged a total of 252.7 million euros (US$297.2 million) for emergency relief, Macron’s office said, including 30 million euros from France.
The money is immediate relief to go directly to Lebanese people and aid groups, while later assistance would be contingent on political reform, the office said.
Pledges include US$20 million from Germany and US$41 million from Kuwait. The European Commission is offering 63 million euros and Qatar is putting up US$50 million, Lebanese TV network Al Jadeed reported.
Cyprus also pledged 5 million euros, the Lebanese presidency said.
“The participants agreed that their assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people, well-coordinated under the leadership of the United Nations and directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency,” the statement said.
Outrage over the explosion on Tuesday last week is running high in Lebanon, with protesters taking to the streets to demand regime change and the resignation of the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
The tragedy has accelerated the political and economic crisis that has crippled the country.
The blast, caused by an explosion of chemicals stored at the city’s main port, killed more than 150 people, injured 6,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
Protests against the government’s role in the devastating blasts turned deadly on Saturday, contributing to the resignation of two Lebanese cabinet ministers.
Lebanese minister of information Manal Abdel Samad and minister of environment and administrative development Damianos Kattar resigned on Sunday.
Seven lawmakers have resigned since last week.
Macron said he wants to help the Lebanese people without endorsing the political class that led the country — once under a French mandate — into financial meltdown through decades of corruption and mismanagement.
“The Lebanese authorities must now implement the political and economic reforms demanded by the Lebanese people, and which will enable the international community to act effectively alongside Lebanon in the reconstruction process,” Macron said.
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