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Beirut blast: France promises donor conference, Italy calls for global response

August 7, 2020 at 2:52 pm

A Lebanese flag is seen in the rubble after the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on 5 August 2020 [Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency]

After Tuesday’s blasts in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, offers of assistance have been pouring in from across the world, with France, Germany, Canada, Bangladesh, Israel, Russia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran among the many countries pledging support.

According to AFP, Italy’s foreign minister yesterday pledged an international response to help Lebanon following the deadly blast that killed at least 154 people and injured thousands.

Turkey sent search and rescue teams, healthcare workers, medical supplies and other urgent humanitarian aid to Beirut to deal with the consequences of the Port of Beirut explosion, Anadolu reported.

On Wednesday, Qatar announced the establishment of an air bridge to get aid to the people of Lebanon following the explosion in the capital Beirut on Tuesday, the online newspaper The Peninsula Qatar says.

READ: Lebanon envoy resigns as Beirut blasts highlight gov’t ‘negligence’

The UK also pledged to “stand by the Lebanese people in their time of need”, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dominic Raab, said, pledging a £5 million ($6.6 million) aid package.

French President Emmanuel Macron was the first world leader to visit Lebanon in the aftermath of the blast, arriving yesterday and promising international aid.

Urging an end to corruption and for reform, Macron said French aid to Lebanon would be channelled “directly towards NGOs”, and not to the government, promising to organise an aid conference with the EU in the coming days.

Lebanon is one long tale of disaster and crisis - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Lebanon is one long tale of disaster and crisis – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]