Donors pledge 253 million euros in emergency aid for Lebanon after blast

By Yiming Woo

 

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a donor teleconference with other world leaders concerning the situation in Lebanon following the Beirut blast, in Fort de Bregancon in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France August 9, 2020. Christophe Simon/Pool via REUTERS

 

FORT BREGANCON, France (Reuters) - An emergency donor conference on Sunday for blast-stricken Lebanon raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros (229 million pounds) for immediate humanitarian relief, the French presidency said.

 

Those commitments would not be conditional on political or institutional reform, President Emmanuel Macron's office said. There were also pledges made for longer-term support that would depend on changes brought in by the authorities, the Elysee Palace said.

 

World powers promised not to fail the Lebanese people as the capital, Beirut, recovers from the massive explosion that killed 158 people and destroyed swathes of the city last Tuesday. Lebanon was already mired in political and financial crisis before the blast.

 

Foreign countries demanded transparency over how the aid is used, wary of writing blank cheques to a government viewed by its own people as deeply corrupt. Some are concerned about the influence of Iran through the Shi'ite group Hezbollah.

 

The "assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people ... and directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency," the final communique stated.

 

Macron, who visited Beirut on Thursday, hosted the conference by video-link and in his opening remarks urged participating nations to put aside their differences and support the Lebanese people.

 

The international response should be coordinated by the United Nations in Lebanon, he added.

 

The offer of assistance included support for an impartial, credible and independent inquiry into the blast. Public anger over the explosion has prompted some Lebanese to call for a revolt to topple their political leaders.

 

"Our role is to be by their side," Macron said from his summer retreat on the French Riviera.

 

REFORMS

President Donald Trump told the conference the United States was ready to continue providing aid to help the Lebanese, the White House said.

 

"The President called for calm in Lebanon and acknowledged the legitimate calls of peaceful protesters for transparency, reform and accountability," a White House statement said.

 

The explosion gutted entire neighbourhoods, leaving 250,000 people homeless, razing businesses and destroying critical grain supplies.

 

Rebuilding Beirut will likely run into the billions of dollars. Economists forecast the blast could wipe up to 25% off of the country's GDP.

 

Up to Sunday's conference there had been an array of offers of immediate humanitarian support such as rescue teams and medical supplies.

 

In a sign of the mistrust between Beirut and donors before the blast, debt default talks between the Lebanese government and International Monetary Fund had stalled in the absence of reforms.

 

The communique said Lebanon's partners were ready to support the country's longer-term economic recovery if leaders committed fully to the changes expected by the Lebanese.

 

Many Lebanese say the blast, blamed on a huge store of ammonium nitrate, highlighted the negligence of a corrupt political elite. Protesters stormed government ministries in Beirut on Saturday and demonstrations erupted again on Sunday.

 

(Reporting by Yiming Woo in Fort Bregancon and Richard Lough and Michel Rose in Paris; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Nick Macfie and Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-10

 

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The main problem is getting the money to those that need it without it going anywhere near the government.

 

That was the main point of the Al Jazeera news clip about it.

as long as Iran's terrorist group the Hezbollah is part and parcel of the lebanese government no telling where some of the money will end with and this is on top of the very serious corruption issues that is rife everywhere in this country...

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Lebanon raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros

0 baht from thailand, or did they give something ?

 

sticky fingers make it always that only 1-5 percent make it to the people who needs it ... a lot of ... ahum ... administrative costs, CEO salaries, ...

Edited August 10, 20205 yr by Bender Rodriguez

9 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

0 baht from thailand, or did they give something ?

A container of army uniforms as well as submarine spare parts could be part of a package sent by Thailand, by EMS of course because speed is of the essence... 

Macron has crowned himself viceroy of Lebanon, as if he didn't have a big enough mess to clean at home! 

 

France just had a massive - 13% GDP fall in the second quarter, that will take at least until the end of the decade to recover from... and here he is, parading and pledging money he can't afford to part with. 

 

 

6 hours ago, Brunolem said:

A container of army uniforms as well as submarine spare parts could be part of a package sent by Thailand, by EMS of course because speed is of the essence... 

well, I went to send a postcard to the USA, and they quoted me 1100 baht EMS, and they only track it to the Thai border, if I recall correctly