Los Angeles, CA – August 6, 2020 — Global Bank Group (@GlobalBankGroup) has offered humanitarian and development assistance to Lebanon after a massive explosion rocked its capital Beirut that killed more than 100 people and injured thousands on Tuesday, the President of Global Bank Group Ron Nechemia said.
"I pledge my fraternal solidarity with the people of Lebanon and we share the pain and sorrows of the Lebanese people after the explosion that killed more than 100 people, wounded more than 4,000 and left an estimated 300,000 homeless in Beirut," said Ron Nechemia.
The Global Bank Group’s regional office for the Middle East and North Africa Region and the Global Bank Disaster Risk Reduction and Reconstruction Fund – An Umbrella Trust Fund (@GBDRRRF) are working with partners, including Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab, to respond to the “urgent needs of Lebanon” following the “devastating explosion” that rocked Beirut on Tuesday.
The Global Bank Group has already activated the Global Bank Disaster Risk Reduction and Reconstruction Fund – An Umbrella Trust Fund. The GB-DRRRF has the mandate for coordinating the Global Bank Group relief efforts globally. These relief efforts include: (a) bringing risk reduction investments to the scale necessary to enable countries to achieve the Sendai Framework targets by 2030; (b) supporting client countries to implement the resilience objectives specified in their Nationally Determined Contributions, and (c) to support the implementation of the Global Climate Agreement in Paris and prevent disasters undermining progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Flagging its experience in providing crucial long-term support to effective post-disaster reconstruction and recovery across the world through the three stages of relief, recovery, and rehabilitation, Global Bank expressed its “very keen and sincere desire” to assist Lebanon in the recovery efforts including replenishing, rebuilding roads and telecommunications infrastructure.
Making Lebanon Resilient
The Global Bank Group's Country Partnership with the Republic of Lebanon is focused on scaling up access to and quality of service delivery and expanding economic opportunities to all. Through these two focus areas, the Global Bank Group will help Lebanon mitigate the economic and social impact of the Syria crisis, safeguard the country’s development gains, and enhance stability and development prospects in the coming years. The Country Partnership contributes to strengthening the relationship between the state and its citizens, a critical ingredient for peace and stability.
The Global Bank Group, along with other international partners, has been working very closely with the Government to scale up assistance in this regard, including through the Global Bank Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility.
