Macron says France to provide 100-million euro package to support Lebanon

By AP 24 October 2024, 11:58 am 9 Edit

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, left, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

France will provide a 100-million euro ($108-million) aid package to support Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron tells an international conference in Paris.

Macron says “in the immediate term, massive aid is needed for the Lebanese population, both for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war and for the communities hosting them.”

The war between Hezbollah terrorists and Israel has displaced a million people in the country, killed over 2,500, and deepened an economic crisis.

French organizers hope participants’ financial pledges of humanitarian aid will meet the $426 million the United Nations says is urgently needed.

Paris also seeks to help restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and strengthen its institutions.