Saulieu, France: The International Conference on Lebanon on Wednesday raised around $ 370 million to meet the country’s humanitarian needs, one year after a large explosion at the Port of Beirut, the French presidency said.
Promises, to be delivered for the next 12 months, exceeded $ 357 million sought in the third global effort to show support for the people of Lebanese, President Emmanuel Macron told the virtual conference hosted by France and the United Nations.
France will provide 100 million euros ($ 118.6 million) in the coming months, Macron said.
Paris will also send 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine for this country.
President Joe Biden, who spoke at a conference in a video message, promised to provide $ 100 million in new humanitarian assistance.
This conference attracted 33 countries, some represented by the head of state or government, diplomats and 13 international organizations, plus five representatives of Lebanese civil society, according to the final statement of the Macron office.
Participants including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, King Abdullah II of Jordan and European Council President Charles Michel.
Lebanese humanitarian needs are currently estimated by the United Nations to be at least $ 357 million.
Help is to focus on food, school, health sector and clean water supply.
Wednesday’s program was also intended to install pressure on Lebanese leaders to form a new government that was able to implement reforms and began rebuilding the country.
Lebanon will go through the worst economic and financial crisis of modern history, and political deadlock has maintained a country without a full-year-old government.
Biden said that “there is no amount of outside assistance that will be sufficient, if the Lebanese leader himself is not committed to doing hard work but it is necessary to reform the economy and fight corruption.
It is important, and must start now.
” Lebanese politicians have only made situations’ ‘Worse by placing their individual and political interests above the interests of the People of Lebanon, “Macron criticized.
“Lebanon definitely deserves better.” Macron said that humanitarian assistance promised Wednesday will be unconditional.
However, he warned that “there will be no empty checks to the Lebanese political system because of the default.
…
Lebanese leaders seem to choose setbacks (situation).
I regret it.
I think it is historical and moral error.” Michel, the President of the European Council, Emphasizing that the EU adopted a few days ago “sanction framework …
to target them in Lebanon which blocked efforts to end the political crisis.
We clearly hope that we will not be obliged to activate it.
‘”Macron, who went to Beirut twice since the explosion at the port, has led international efforts to try to help the former French Protectorate by providing emergency assistance.
Last year’s conference in Lebanon, was organized after an explosion, raising around 280 million euros ($ 332 million) .
In a statement that lay down the Conference Conclusion, participants said that “the development model must be overhauled to ensure the country again becomes a sustainable development process and centered on society.
“” Humanitarian assistance cannot be a long-term solution, ” Conference concludes, noting that “structural economic and financial assistance will require the estimated depth change from Lebanese leaders.
‘ ‘The conference said the new government under the New Prime Minister Lebanon – appointed Najib Mikati must begin with “negotiations quickly, negotiations and conclude negotiations.
In good faith with international monetary funds,” and prepare the’ transparent and impartial election “for 2022, and repair a damaged port.
According to the United Nations, more than half of Lebanese now live in poverty, one in three Lebanese suffer from food insecurity and nearly 4 million people at risk of not accessing safe water.