Lebanon seeks $5 billion for reconstruction after Israeli destructive campaign, PM Mikati says
Lebanon's new Prime Minister-Designate Najib Mikati, talks at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azaki
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has disclosed that Lebanon requires over $5 billion for rebuilding the country after the recent Israeli aggression.
This includes $2.1 billion for the rehabilitation of over 100,000 homes and housing units, as well as funds to repair critical infrastructure such as water pumping stations, hospitals, schools, and communication towers.
In his speech at the 11th summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation in Cairo, Mikati reported that the toll of the Israeli assault had been devastating, with over 4,000 Lebanese killed, including 290 children, 790 women, and 241 healthcare and ambulance workers.
More than 14,000 people were injured, and over one million individuals were displaced from their homes.
Mikati further stated that the war’s economic, environmental, and agricultural damages were substantial, including the destruction of thousands of hectares of farmland, which devastated the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens.
He called for international support to help Lebanon recover from the largest displacement in the country’s history.
The Lebanese Prime Minister stressed that true development can only occur by adhering to international laws, including international humanitarian law, and pressuring Israel to end its aggression.
