Donors pledge aid to stricken Lebanon

FORT BREGANCON, France/BEIRUT, Lebanon－An emergency donor conference on Sunday for blast-stricken Lebanon raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros ($297 million) for immediate humanitarian relief, the French presidency said.

After a United Nations-backed virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, representatives from the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United States, the European Union, China, the World Bank and others issued a joint statement pledging solidarity with and support for the Lebanese people.

"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," said the statement.

The blasts hit the Port of Beirut on Tuesday afternoon. Macron was the first world leader to visit the former French colony after the devastating explosions of a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate which killed more than 150 people, wounded nearly 6,000 and left an estimated 300,000 homeless.

At least 21 people are still missing from the huge blasts, and the Lebanese army said on Sunday that hopes of finding survivors are dwindling.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the conference: "To help Lebanon overcome the tragedy and recover better, we will need all hands on deck."

Noting that the devastating Beirut port blasts will have "deep social and economic impacts", Mohammed called for a focus on the support of "four priority sectors－health, food, the rehabilitation of buildings and the rehabilitation of schools".

"The Lebanese people deserve a stable and secure future," the UN deputy chief said, adding that "with determination and solidarity, we can help them reach that long-sought goal".

Reconstruction support

Calling for quick reconstruction support at the conference, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said: "We have great needs at the moment and we must meet them quickly before the winter as citizens will suffer a lot without shelters during the cold weather.

"The (blasts) struck us while we are in the midst of economic and financial crisis, in addition to the existence of over 1 million refugees in Lebanon and the repercussions of COVID-19. Dealing with all these is way beyond the capacity of Lebanon."

The donor nations urged Lebanon's authorities to "fully commit themselves to timely measures and reforms" in order to unlock longer-term support for the country's economic and financial recovery. And they said assistance for "an impartial, credible and independent inquiry" into Tuesday's explosions "is immediately needed and available, upon request of Lebanon".

A dozen countries and international organizations have expressed solidarity and sympathy with Lebanon over the deadly explosions, with medical supplies and foodstuff to the Middle East country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, said on Friday that it is mobilizing assistance to support its staff and refugees affected by the deadly blasts.

"We are making available our stocks of shelter kits in the country, plastic sheets ... and tens of thousands of other core relief items including blankets and mattresses for immediate distribution and use. Additional stockpiles in the region will come in reinforcement," the UNHCR said in a statement.

Lebanon has received field hospitals from a number of countries in the past few days, including France, Jordan, Russia and Qatar, to aid in the treatment of injured people and COVID-19 patients.

The causes of the blasts remain unknown and an investigation is underway. The Lebanese people enraged by official negligence blamed for the explosion have taken to the streets in anti-government protests that have resulted in clashes with the army.

Lebanese Environment Minister Demianos Kattar and Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad on Sunday submitted their resignations following the blasts, local media reported. A number of members of parliament also presented their resignations a day earlier due to the explosions.

Xinhua - Agencies