Connect with us
Advertisement

Nigeria News

The International Community Has Concluded An Emergency Meeting On Aid To Lebanon

Published

on

Countries around the world have concluded an emergency meeting to set up a foundation to provide strong support to Lebanon following the country’s massive crisis on Tuesday following a chemical explosion.

During the videoconference held on Sunday, August 9, the countries determined to come to the aid of Lebanon after the explosion that devastated Beirut agreed that this support should be monitored by the UN and provided in full transparency to the Lebanese.

About thirty representatives of countries wishing to come to the aid of Lebanon gathered in the afternoon of Sunday, August 9 for a videoconference organized jointly by France and by the United Nations (UN). The objective was to set the framework for the aid of the international community in Lebanon, ravaged by an economic crisis and by the terrible explosion which occurred Tuesday in Beirut and which left at least 158 ​​dead and 6,000 injured.

“Efficiency and transparency”

At the end of this videoconference, in which French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump participated, the donor countries delivered a press release about their support: ” The participants agreed that their assistance should be well-coordinated under the aegis of the United Nations and provided directly to the Lebanese population, with the maximum efficiency and transparency.”

While Michel Aoun, the Lebanese President, ruled out any international investigation, donor countries insisted on the need for an ” impartial, credible and independent ” investigation into the circumstances which led to the deadly explosion of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which had been stored for six years at the port of Beirut.

Aid of 252.7 million euros

In total, the international community committed to supporting Lebanon has agreed to aid worth 252.7 million euros. Thirty million euros will come from France, the European Union will provide more than double. This aid is already underway, and will subsequently be delivered under UN coordination, and without conditions. On the other hand, for assistance in the economic and financial reconstruction of the country, as a second step, the Lebanese authorities will have to undertake to initiate the reforms demanded by the population.

France – whose contribution, therefore, amounts to 30 million euros – will send more than 18 tonnes of medical aid and nearly 700 tonnes of food aid. The Tonnerre helicopter carrier, equipped with a hospital and with 200 tonnes of flour and dairy and infant products on board, set sail in the evening from Toulon.

The European Commission has indeed announced that additional aid of 30 million euros will be immediately put on the table to provide
emergency aid to Lebanon. This sum is added to the 33 million already
announced Thursday. The use of these funds ” will be subject to strict control “.

Emergency humanitarian aid has been evaluated by the UN at 116 million euros and concerns health, food and the rehabilitation of buildings and infrastructure. Take the example of schools, 120 establishments need to be repaired. And 300,000 people need assistance with housing.

Finally, the participants officially offered their assistance to Lebanon for an impartial, credible and independent investigation into the explosions of August 4.