Germany To Provide Additional $23.5 Mln In Aid To Blast-Hit Lebanon, Kuwait Pledges $41Mln

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2020) Germany will provide an additional 20 million Euros ($23.5 million) in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in the aftermath of the deadly explosion at the port of Beirut, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday.

"People in Beirut need our help and they need hope. I am very happy that I can promise 20 more million euros," Maas said on Twitter.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday opened an international videoconference on aid for Lebanon in the wake of the Beirut explosion.

Earlier in the day, Maas said that Germany would provide 10 million euros to help the Lebanese side. The minister added that the Lebanese government "must take responsibility and respond transparently, investigate the causes of the explosion," and in this case, "the population will again be able to trust" the authorities.

Kuwait and Brazil will also send humanitarian aid to Lebanon as part of international humanitarian response to the tragedy. Kuwait, in particular, allocated $41 million to assist the middle East country, while Brazilian authorities will aircraft with humanitarian cargo and medicines to Beirut.

Late on Tuesday, a powerful explosion took place at the port of Beirut, killing at least 158 people and injuring over 6,000, per the latest estimates. According to the authorities, the explosion was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, confiscated by the customs services in 2014 and stored in the port since then. The explosion has also caused considerable damage to the city, having destroyed or damaged dozens of houses.