International solidarity is getting organized. The videoconference of donors in support of Lebanon, whose capital Beirut was devastated by a deadly explosion, will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m., said the Elysee. This initiative is organized by the UN and France.
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump tweeted that the video conference would bring together "President Macron, the leaders of Lebanon and leaders of other places in the world", after the French president's visit to Beirut on Thursday. “Everyone wants to help! He added, mentioning that he spoke in the morning with French President Emmanuel Macron, at the initiative of the meeting.
The European institutions will also participate in this donors' conference organized to mobilize emergency humanitarian aid for the people of Beirut. Austria has already announced this Saturday that it intended to release 1 million euros to help Lebanon in an emergency following the explosion in the port of Beirut, the government said on Saturday. These funds will be made available to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, as well as Austrian NGOs, in order to provide food and accommodation to the victims.
According to Macron, the money will not go to "corruption"
During his visit on Thursday, Emmanuel Macron had promised the Lebanese that the money would not go to "corruption". The aid should focus on food and infrastructure needs, according to a diplomatic source.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, for his part, on Friday rejected any international investigation into the gigantic explosion at the port of Beirut, saying that it could have been caused by negligence or by a missile, while rescuers were still working to find survivors.
The explosion that hit Beirut on Tuesday left at least 154 dead, more than 5,000 injured, dozens missing and hundreds of thousands homeless, according to the latest report.
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