First Ship of Egypt-Led Sealift Arrives at Beirut Port

Egypt-led urgent sealift to Lebanon is set to carry large quantities of basic and necessary building and reconstruction materials to contribute to renovating Beirut Port after the devastating blast, Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Yasser Allawi said on Friday.

Allawi made his remarks today on the sidelines of the receipt of the first ship of Egypt’s relief aid to Lebanon, the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut said in a statement.

"The ship is loaded with 125 tons of glass, representing the first batch of Egyptian relief sealift provided by the Federation of Egyptian Industries under the auspices of Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea," the ambassador said.

[caption id="attachment_145928" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Ambassador Allawi Speaks to Reporters[/caption]

He pointed out that Cairo is keen to support and assist Beirut in the wake of the massive deadly explosion that rocked the capital on August 4.

"Today’s batch will be followed by other ships that are scheduled to carry large quantities of aluminum, cement, adhesives, iron, and marble," he noted.

Moreover, the embassy offered 2 tons of medical aid to Makassed General Hospital in Beirut as a part of Egypt's support to the Lebanese health sector due to the current critical circumstances in the country.

The move comes upon directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to support Lebanon after the devastating explosion that caused severe damage across Beirut.