At Virtual Summit, World Leaders Pledge $298 Million In Aid To Lebanon

Enlarge this image

World leaders pledged $298 million to assist Lebanon in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic blast during a virtual summit on Sunday. French President Emmanuel Macron organized the virtual summit.

Christophe Simon/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Christophe Simon/AP

World
Beirut Explosion Looks Like An Accident — And A Sign Of The Country’s Collapse

Prior to the explosion — caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut’s port — the country had already been undergoing a major economic collapse. Lebanon had also been struggling under the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BBC reports that 15 leaders at the summit released a joint statement, insisting the aid must be «directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency.

«Assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people, the statement said.

The European Commission — the executive body of the European Union — pledged some $35 million on top of an already promised $39 million. The United Kingdom also pledged $26 million during the summit.

Earlier on Sunday, the acting administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development specified that the agency would avoid pledging money through Lebanon’s government. John Barsa told reporters on a conference call that $15 million would instead go through universities trusted by the United States, the AP reported.