REPORTAGE
"Lebanon is not alone". Six days after the explosion that hit the capital of the country, around thirty heads of state and government met on Sunday by videoconference to unblock aid for Lebanon of 250 million euros with four priorities: health , food for the Lebanese, rehabilitation of affected schools and damaged housing. A welcome help in the streets of Beirut.
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250 million euros. For Youssef that makes a lot of money. The man is a volunteer in an NGO in the capital and when asked where this aid should go first, he points to the glassless windows of a building in front of him. "What we really need are materials to rebuild the houses, remodel Beirut," he says. "We have enough food. Now we have to rebuild. The people in Beirut are strong, they have destroyed houses. So we have to help them, rebuild all this."
"We want people to look at any dollar or euro that is going to be invested there"
But to finance the reconstruction, the thirty or so donors are warning; aid must go directly to the population with, they specify, "maximum efficiency and transparency". Joseph has been demonstrating for two days against this political class that he describes as so many Lebanese, corrupt. He expected no less. "We don't want them to give it to politicians, we want people from these states, France, America, we want them to come here, to be present, to look at all dollars or euro which will be invested on the spot, ”claims the young man.
Reforms for more transparency, this is what donors have also called for to unlock much more aid: $ 11 billion promised two years ago to revive the economy.