As the conflict between Lebanon’s Hizbullah and Israel enters its third week, the two oil-reach Gulf states – Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – are pledging $3.3 billion to help restore Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia committed to transfer $1.5 billion in specific grants, and $1 billion in general funding. This comes only few days after an initial grant of $50 million was delivered as "emergency aid."
Saudi Arabian dignitaries are also donating money from their own pockets: King ‘Abdallah donated $2.6m; Prime Minister Sultan Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz gave $1.3m; the deputy prime minister, interior minister, and governor of Riyadh donated half a million dollars each.
Meanwhile, donations from private Saudi citizens reached $32m.
Kuwait donates $800m
The Kuwaiti government announced it would donate $800m to the Lebanese people. Specific grants totaling $300m will be given for the "restoration of what had been destroyed by the [Israeli] aggression," while $500m will be granted as general funding.
The Kuwaiti government called Sunday for "the international community to take immediate and assertive measures to put an end to this human crisis." Meanwhile, in the streets of Kuwait demonstrators burnt the American flag in protest against the Israeli attack in Kafr Qana, where 57 citizens were killed.