BAHRAIN, along with other GCC nations, can help rebuild Lebanon, said a top US official.
The country has been reeling in the aftermath of a massive blast that caused large-scale destruction in the capital Beirut.
The August 4 explosion at a warehouse storing highly explosive material killed at least 172 people, injured some 6,000, left around 300,000 without habitable housing and wrecked swathes of the Mediterranean city.
Answering a query from the GDN, US Agency for International Development (USAID) Middle East Bureau assistant administrator Michael Harvey cited the UAE fundraising campaign and shipment of 138 tonnes of glass to Beirut as an example.
Assess
He was speaking alongside USAID acting administrator John Barsa who addressed journalists round the world over telephone on his three-day visit to ground zero to assess the situation and to observe the efforts to respond to the disaster.
The GDN reported earlier that Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) secretary general Dr Mustafa Al Sayed said a plan was under study to send a medical team and take part in reconstruction programmes, as well as the possibility of flying in injured Lebanese for treatment in Bahrain.
“Though we do not have the stock of exact contributions from the region, we are aware that there has been seamless co-operation from all the countries and US partners in the region,” Mr Harvey told the GDN.
“Lebanon’s neighbours played an important role and we must say that all immediate needs, as in food and medicine, have been met.
“Going forward what is needed is reconstruction, as we saw in the large shipment of glass; this kind of support will be ideal,” he added.
Mr Harvey was referring to the Lebanese Business Council (LBC) head and Abu Dhabi-based businessman Sufyan Al Saleh who thought of the imminent need of the people of Beirut and launched the fundraiser and glass shipment.
The glass will be used to restore windowpanes in 1,000 homes in Beirut.
Mr Barsa said he had never seen a ruin of this magnitude.
“The US stands with the Lebanese people and the aim of our visit was to assess the situation, and listen to the people.”
The US has pledged $18 million in humanitarian assistance provided by USAID and the US Department of Defence.
During his visit, Mr Barsa met the USAID Disaster-Assistance Response Team that is co-ordinating US humanitarian efforts on the ground and also visited Beirut port to survey the damage caused by the explosion.
He also visited an emergency food distribution site managed by the World Food Programme, to provide food assistance to 300,000 people affected by the blast.
He also oversaw the arrival of US-funded emergency medical kits provided through USAID and airlifted to Beirut, each containing enough medicine and medical supplies to support 60,000 people.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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