Lebanon Rebuilding
Donors pledge $940m
Reuters, Stockholm
International donors pledged more than $940 million on Thursday for war-torn Lebanon's immediate relief efforts, nearly double the target amount. The funds raised at the Stockholm meeting will go to short-term needs, from shelter for those who lost their homes in Israel's war with Hezbollah to removing unexploded bombs. Lebanon hopes to hold a bigger conference later this year to raise money for longer-term reconstruction. "We believe that this is a very important accomplishment ... This will pave the way for further efforts," Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told a news conference. He told the delegates from 60 countries and aid groups the pledges "show that the Lebanese people are not alone." A statement released after the conference said donors had promised more than $940 million. A Swedish Foreign Ministry official said this included $175 million of US funds, part of an aid package unveiled by President George W. Bush last week.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem (L) accompanies UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (R) to the VIP lounge bearing portraits of current and late president Bashar and Hafez al-Assad at the airport in Damascus yesterday. Annan said yesterday that he had secured a pledge from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate in enforcing a weapons embargo against Lebanon's Hezbollah. PHOTO: AFP |
