Hariri Donates $20 Million for Reconstruction Efforts in North

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader MP Saad Hariri on Thursday announced that he has donated 20 million dollars for reconstruction efforts in northern Lebanon, which has witnessed fierce battles between the army and Islamist gunmen.

“Twenty million dollars have been allocated for the areas affected by the latest clashes in the city of Tripoli -- especially Bab al-Tabbaneh -- the Bhannine region in Minieh and the rest of northern areas that witnessed military confrontations,” Hariri said in a statement.

“Nothing can compensate the good people in Tripoli and the North for the death and injury of innocent youths, children and women,” added Hariri.

He hailed “the great patience demonstrated by them and their firm belief that all sacrifices become easier when they are for the dignity of Tripoli, Akkar, Dinniyeh, Minieh and all parts of the beloved North.”

Earlier on Thursday, the government allocated 30 billion Lebanese pounds to pay compensations to residents in Tripoli and the North.

The fighting in Tripoli and the nearby regions of Minieh and al-Mhammara was the deadliest bout of Syria-related violence in the North since the 2011 outbreak of the civil war in Syria, leaving 11 soldiers and five civilians dead between Friday and Sunday.

It was also the first to pit Islamists against the army in Tripoli.

The fighting caused major damage to the impoverished district of Bab al-Tabbaneh and the city's old souks.

Hariri added that he was “proud that the citizens of these areas, especially the inhabitants of Bab al-Tabbaneh and the old souks of Tripoli …, refused to be a base for the tools of extremism in the face of the Lebanese army.”

He also said “the responsible national stance of the people of Tripoli and the North” represented “the required response to those trying to incite strife and find means to justify their participation in the Syrian war and their support for the criminal regime of Bashar Assad.”

Hariri pointed out that he decided to appoint a team of engineers and specialists from al-Mustaqbal movement to “prepare studies and put the donation on the track of quick implementation.”

“The state will always be the safe haven for everyone, and what is being done is our duty towards citizens who are very dear to us,” Hariri said.

“Together we will defend moderation against extremism and the state against chaos,” the former premier vowed.

Y.R.