Russia is among 60 countries and organizations represented at an ongoing conference in Stockholm aimed at raising funds to restore the country's crippled infrastructure and rebuild destroyed homes. The Lebanese government says billions of dollars will be needed to repair the damage inflicted by the Israeli military.
"Since August 9, Russia has offered Lebanon humanitarian aid worth $1.75 million in response to the United Nations' call," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said. "Four aircraft of the Ministry of Emergency Situations delivered humanitarian cargoes to Cyprus, which were then transported to Lebanon with UN support."
Israel's military operation in Lebanon began on July 12 after radical Islamic group Hizbollah killed three Israeli servicemen and captured two others in a cross-border raid. Before the August 14 truce, Israeli military operations claimed the lives of about 1,000 Lebanese civilians, forced nearly a quarter of the country's population to flee their homes, and demolished large parts of the country's infrastructure.
Kamynin said Russian had informed Lebanon that it was ready to treat civilians who had suffered in the conflict. For example, the administration of the Kemerovo Region in Siberia has proposed to receive 100 children.
Kamynin added that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit Lebanon next week to discuss with its leadership further measures to help the country.
