World Leaders Pledge Over €250 Million For Lebanon

Paris, MINA – World leaders pledged more than €250 million for disaster-stricken Lebanon, said conference hosts France, with emergency assistance to be delivered “directly” to residents shaken by port of Beirut’s deadly explosion.

Fifteen government leaders including US President Donald Trump took part in a virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations, pledging solidarity with the Lebanese people to gather key resources in the next few days. Arab News reported on Sunday.

The results of the joint statement issued after a conference meeting of representatives from nearly 30 countries as well as the participating European Union and Arab League did not mention global numbers.

However, Macron’s office said the total amount of emergency assistance promised or which could mobilize quickly was €252.7 million ($298 million ), including €30 million from France.

Macron is the first world leader to visit the former French colony after Tuesday’s devastating explosion, which destroyed a large pile of ammonium nitrate that killed more than 150 people, injured about 6,000 and left about 300,000 homeless.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said “more than €200 million in emergency aid have been collected, including €20 million from Germany”. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)