Sweden to Host International Donors' Conference For Lebanon
Charity News Online
Sweden Monday invited 60 countries and aid agencies to a donors' conference aimed at helping Lebanon rebuild homes, roads and lives shattered by weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas. Big donor nations such as the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany, Norway and Japan as well as the Gulf States were among those invited to the Aug. 31 conference in Stockholm, Swedish aid minister Carin Jamtin said.
She said Israel wasn't on the guest list for the meeting, which Sweden would host with help from the UN and the Lebanese government. "The countries invited are those who are traditional donors at this type of conference," Jamtin told The Associated Press. "This will not be a political meeting, it's about urgent reconstruction." Jamtin said that included rebuilding ports, bridges and roads wrecked by Israeli bombs to help thousands of people who fled the month-long fighting return to their homes.
"Security is a condition for people to move back. But there must also be bridges to cross and there must be homes with roofs over their heads," Jamtin said. She declined to name a figure on how much aid was needed, saying that was up to Lebanon to determine.
Israel halted its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas Monday as a UN-imposed ceasefire went into effect after a month of warfare that killed more than 900 people, devastated much of south Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters.
Lebanon, Israel, Hezbollah, Sweden, aid agencies , UN
Charity News Online
Sweden Monday invited 60 countries and aid agencies to a donors' conference aimed at helping Lebanon rebuild homes, roads and lives shattered by weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerillas. Big donor nations such as the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany, Norway and Japan as well as the Gulf States were among those invited to the Aug. 31 conference in Stockholm, Swedish aid minister Carin Jamtin said.
She said Israel wasn't on the guest list for the meeting, which Sweden would host with help from the UN and the Lebanese government. "The countries invited are those who are traditional donors at this type of conference," Jamtin told The Associated Press. "This will not be a political meeting, it's about urgent reconstruction." Jamtin said that included rebuilding ports, bridges and roads wrecked by Israeli bombs to help thousands of people who fled the month-long fighting return to their homes.
"Security is a condition for people to move back. But there must also be bridges to cross and there must be homes with roofs over their heads," Jamtin said. She declined to name a figure on how much aid was needed, saying that was up to Lebanon to determine.
Israel halted its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas Monday as a UN-imposed ceasefire went into effect after a month of warfare that killed more than 900 people, devastated much of south Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters.
Lebanon, Israel, Hezbollah, Sweden, aid agencies , UN
posted by Lisa Vronskaya at 11:06 AM
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