BEIRUT, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday launched a World Bank-funded project for the rehabilitation of heritage buildings damaged in the Beirut port blasts, a statement by the Council of Ministers said.
Mikati said that the project aims to support the rehabilitation of damaged heritage buildings, and help the most vulnerable groups including the elderly and people with special needs.
The prime minister explained that the project falls within the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) created by the World Bank Group, the United Nations, and the European Union in cooperation with civil society, Lebanon's government, and the international community.
World Bank Regional Director Saroj Kumar Jha said that this project responds to urgent needs on the ground by rebuilding residential buildings of heritage value and laying the foundations for resilient civil development.
He emphasized the importance of the project in restoring cultural life and providing workers in the field with incentives to continue cultural production which would restore the city's vitality and role as a cultural center in the Mediterranean.
This project comes three months after the World Bank allocated 25 million U.S. dollars to support the recovery of targeted micro and small enterprises damaged in the explosions.
The Beirut port was hit by two big explosions on Aug. 4, 2020, which killed over 200 people and destroyed a big part of the city, leaving around 300,000 people homeless, which prompted the international community to support reconstruction efforts. ■
