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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 09 STOCKHOLM 001452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016 
TAGS: EAID PREL LE SW
SUBJECT: LEBANON DONORS CONFERENCE IN STOCKHOLM AUGUST 31 
 
REF: STATE 139903 
 
Classified By: NEA PDAS Jeffrey, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
¶1.  (SBU) Donors pledged 942 million USD in early recovery 
and humanitarian aid at the August 31 Stockholm Conference 
for Lebanon,s Early Recovery, nearly double the 500 million 
target set by the Government of Sweden, which hosted the 
event.  Representatives from 50 countries as well as UN 
agencies, International Financial Institutions, the European 
Commission and European Union and International NGOs attended 
the conference. Conference participants universally expressed 
their support for the full implementation of 1701 and a 
majority of speakers called for an immediate end to the 
Israeli blockade.  Several delegates specifically addressed 
the provisions relating to the securing of Lebanon,s borders 
and the need to end illegal arms transfers.  Many of the 
statements called on the parties to respect international 
law, and to facilitate humanitarian access. Participants 
expressed their solidarity with the Lebanese people and their 
support for a strong GOL able to extend its authority 
throughout its territory.  Many specifically welcomed the 
&courageous8 decision to deploy the Lebanese Army in the 
South and along the border with Syria, and expressed their 
support for the expeditious deployment of UNIFIL. Reflecting 
the rapid transition from the emergency response phase to 
early recovery, the UN revised its humanitarian flash appeal 
downward to 96 million.  The appeal was already funded at a 
level of 89 million, leaving a shortfall of only 7 million. 
 
¶2.    (SBU) In expressing their support for the recovery and 
reconstruction process, many delegates cautioned that 
achieving lasting peace and stability for Lebanon requires a 
parallel effort to reach a political solution to address the 
root causes of conflict in the region, explicitly linking the 
situation in Lebanon to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 
Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora blamed Israel for wiping out 
&fifteen years of post-war development...in a matter of 
days8 and accused Israel of &repeatedly and willfully8 
violating international law, including the Geneva 
Conventions.  His comments were echoed in numerous statements 
by delegates from the region. 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
¶3.   (C) Comment:  In contrast with what he told us during a 
private meeting (septel), Siniora's public presentation was 
much more polemical.  Most other participants joined in the 
call for the lifting of the blockade but did not make 
anti-Israeli political statements.  The Lebanese wanted to 
start their presentation with a very unbalanced film, which 
blasted Israel but did not mention what started the conflict. 
 The Swedes and Lebanese previewed the film for us.  After 
hearing that we would walk out if they insisted on showing it 
in "prime time" when the audience was full, they then agreed 
to show it in the afternoon, when there were far fewer people 
in attendance (and only one person representing the US 
delegation).  We were able to negotiate the Chairman's 
Summary to include language on "the opening of Lebanese 
harbors and airports for civilian purposes."  The language on 
the blockade read as follows:  "It was recognized that the 
continued Israeli blockade constitutes a major impediment to 
the early recovery process.  Participants urged that the call 
by the UNSYG to lift the blockade be heeded.". The Lebanese 
had pressed for a specific call on Israel, that we rejected 
as unbalanced. 
 
¶4.  (C) Comment continued:  During Amb Tobias' press 
conference, he was peppered with mostly political questions 
regarding the US position on the Israeli blockade.  He 
responded by referring to the need for the full 
implementation of 1701 as the road to the solution of this 
problem.  Asked about the position of the US with respect to 
contributions to a fund and potential involvement of 
Hizballah in the distribution of assistance, he responded 
that different donors have different means of assisting and 
reiterated the importance of matching resources with the 
GOL's priorities and effective coordination.  END SUMMARY AND 
COMMENT. 
 
 
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND THE NATIONAL EARLY RECOVERY PROCESS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶5.    (SBU) The GOL presented a preliminary damage assessment 
and a summary of early recovery initiatives, supported by a 
43-page strategy document entitled &Setting the stage for 
long-term reconstruction: The national early recovery 
process8, available online at: 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  003 OF 009 
 
 
http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/7018. 
 
¶6.    (SBU) Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora told delegates that his 
country sustained billions of dollars of damage to 
infrastructure and property.  He estimated the indirect costs 
at billions more.  GOL estimates of the direct impact on the 
Lebanese side of the month-long conflict include the 
following: 
 
--Civilian casualties and displacement: more than 1,100 
killed, more than 4,000 wounded, and one million displaced. 
 
--Shelter: more than 30,000 housing units totally or 
partially destroyed. 
 
--Widespread threat from unexploded ordnance (UXO). 
 
--Electricity sector: estimated at 114 million. 
 
--Telecommunications infrastructure: 134 million in damage. 
 
--Transportation infrastructure: 484 million in damage to 
roads, bridges and airports. 
 
--Government infrastructure: 4 million in damage to 
government buildings and supplies. 
 
--Health: extensive damage to health facilities, including 34 
million in damage to five government hospitals, reduced 
access to health facilities and increased risk of epidemic 
disease outbreaks, and exhaustion of medical supplies. 
 
--Education: 36 million in damage, including 40-50 schools 
totally destroyed and 300 damaged. 
 
--Water and sanitation: 81 million in damage to water 
pumping, storage and distribution networks and sewerage 
systems. 
 
--Environment: 10,000-15,000 ton spill of heavy fuel oil. 
 
--Industry: preliminary estimate of 220 million in direct 
damage to industrial infrastructure and losses in 
productivity of up to 30 million per day. 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  004 OF 009 
 
 
 
--Agriculture: extensive damage to farming equipment and 
infrastructure, loss of harvests and reduced access to 
markets, as well as damage to the fishing industry. 
 
--Public finance: the anticipated net impact of revenue 
shortfalls and increased expenditures is 1.5 billion. 
 
--The GOL also outlined the impact of the conflict on 
unemployment and livelihoods as well as the needs of 
vulnerable groups, including Palestinian refugees. 
 
SUMMARY OF PLEDGES 
------------------ 
¶7.    (SBU) An initial GOS estimate placed the total pledged 
at the conference at USD 942 million.  A Swedish MFA official 
later provided the following refined breakdown of the top ten 
pledges (in millions): Qatar 300; United States 180; Arab 
Fund 112; Saudi Arabia 60; European Commission 91; UAE 50; 
Italy 38; Spain 94; Germany 28; and Sweden 20.  The revised 
total is thus 973 million, not including numerous pledges of 
less than 20 million. 
 
¶8.    (SBU) In estimating the pledges, the Swedish MFA worked 
with OCHA to separate out old pledges, loans, and assistance 
directed to other purposes in an attempt to include only new 
pledges for early recovery.  The GOS estimated the U.S. 
pledge at 180 million, excluding 55 million in emergency 
assistance already delivered from the total U.S. pledge of 
more than 230 million, announced by President Bush the 
previous week.  The inclusion of the already announced U.S. 
contribution apparently became the source of some controversy 
following a question at a press event after the conference. 
 
OPENING STATEMENT BY SWEDISH PM GOERAN PERSSON 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶9.    (SBU) Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson hailed the 
adoption of 1701 and the resulting cessation of hostilities. 
He acknowledged the &tragic loss of life in both Lebanon and 
Israel8.  Sounding a theme that was reiterated by speakers 
throughout the day, he spoke of the dual challenge of 
rebuilding Lebanon and securing the long-term peace by 
addressing root causes.  In an interdependent world, he said 
events in Lebanon and the Middle East have &immediate and 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  005 OF 009 
 
 
far-reaching consequences8.  Persson urged the governments 
of Lebanon and Israel to move towards a permanent political 
settlement in accordance with the principles outlined in 
1701, including the implementation of the Taif Accords and of 
UNSCR 1559.  He expressed support for the SG,s call to lift 
the blockade.  Persson called on aid to be flexible and 
disbursed quickly and in a way that ensures the involvement 
of all parts of society. 
 
OPENING STATEMENT BY LEBANESE PM FOUAD SINIORA 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶10.   (SBU) Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora told delegates that his 
country sustained billions of dollars of damage to 
infrastructure and property during what he described as an 
&unjustified war8 against his country.  He estimated the 
indirect costs at billions more.  He reminded participants of 
Lebanon,s economic recovery prior to the crisis and 
summarized the destruction caused by the conflict in detail, 
blaming Israel for wiping out &fifteen years of post-war 
development...in a matter of days8.  Siniora also blamed the 
Lebanese debt burden in large part on &repeated Israeli 
aggressions8 and accused Israel of &repeatedly and 
willfully8 violating international law, including the Geneva 
Conventions. 
 
¶11.   (SBU) Siniora discussed the steps his government has 
taken to implement 1701, including the movement of forces 
into the South and the deployment of 8,600 troops to the 
border with Syria.  He said Israel responded by further 
punishing Lebanon and delaying the cessation of hostilities 
for three days.  He also accused Israel of not complying with 
1701 even after the cessation of hostilities, and called on 
delegates to press for an immediate end to the &illegal air, 
sea, and land blockade8.  He also decried Israel,s use of 
cluster munitions as a &clear violation of international 
humanitarian law8. 
 
¶12.   (SBU) Siniora reviewed the early recovery and 
reconstruction objectives of the GOL, beginning with 
assistance for the remaining displaced population before the 
onset of winter, addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, 
reopening air and sea ports, rebuilding essential 
infrastructure and providing basic services in affected 
areas.  He indicated the initial needs assessment prepared by 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  006 OF 009 
 
 
the GOL for the conference would be further refined in the 
future. 
¶13.   (SBU) Siniora announced a &Rebuilding the Nation of 
Hope8 initiative involving donor funds, direct 
contributions, or sponsorships of reconstruction projects, 
villages or schools. 
 
¶14.   (SBU) Siniora closed by linking the crisis in Lebanon 
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and calling for the root 
causes of the conflict to be addressed.  &War has brought 
Israel neither security nor peace8, he said, warning that 
the will of the peoples of the region to resist grows 
stronger &with each village destroyed and each massacre 
committed8.  He called military solutions both 
&unacceptable and totally unrealistic8 and declared 
&partial political tracks and unilateral initiatives8 a 
failure.  He pledged to work unrelentingly to achieve peace 
in the region, &the birthplace of the three great 
religions8.  Siniora said the Lebanese people are determined 
to build a strong and democratic state and to reclaim the 
position of Lebanon as a haven of plurality, moderation, 
tolerance and freedom in the region. 
 
STATEMENT BY UN DEPUTY SG MARK MALLOCH BROWN 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶15.   (SBU) Brown lamented the &years of painstaking 
reconstruction un-done with breathtaking speed8.  He lauded 
the determination of the Lebanese people, as well as their 
technical capacity in engineering, planning and construction, 
and the energy of the private sector.  He said the Lebanese 
people are &looking to this conference for a signal that the 
international community is ready to assist their efforts to 
rebuild Lebanon as a stable, independent, democratic, 
prosperous country at peace with itself and its neighbors8. 
 
¶16.   (SBU) As the humanitarian situation has stabilized, 
Brown said Lebanon is quickly progressing from emergency 
response to the early stages of recovery and reconstruction, 
a trend reflected in the downward revision of the UN,s 
humanitarian flash appeal.  He also credited the &great 
national unity of the Lebanese people8 and their willingness 
to assist those displaced by the fighting with averting a 
potential humanitarian catastrophe.  Brown indicated the UN 
is supporting the establishment of a recovery and 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  007 OF 009 
 
 
coordination cell within the office of the PM, and the GOL is 
carrying out a comprehensive assessment for a longer-term 
National Recovery Plan. 
 
STATEMENT ON UN SUPPORT FOR EARLY RECOVERY 
------------------------------------------ 
¶17.   (SBU) Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, 
delivered a statement on behalf of UNDG expressing support 
for GOL leadership of the early recovery process.  She said 
the UN and World Bank, as well as local and international 
organizations, worked with the GOL on the development of 
rapid assessments whose preliminary results are summarized in 
the strategy document.  Obaid highlighted cooperation between 
the GOL and the UN system on the campaign to have children 
back in school by October 9, the importance of assistance to 
Palestinian refugees who sheltered displaced Lebanese or who 
were themselves displaced, and the need to jump-start the 
Lebanese economy and restoring livelihoods with cash 
transfers, micro-finance initiatives and cash-for-work 
schemes.  Obaid said the UNDG is prepared to support the GOL 
in establishing and administering an early recovery fund that 
would allow donors to pool resources and provide quick 
funding to early recovery initiatives. 
 
REVISED UN HUMANITARIAN FLASH APPEAL 
------------------------------------ 
¶18.   (SBU) Citing the displacement of one million people in 
a period of two weeks, UN Undersecretary-General for 
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan 
Egeland described the crisis in Lebanon as one of the most 
dramatic ever.  He noted that hundreds of thousands of 
Israelis were also displaced.  The first response, said 
Egeland, came from the Lebanese people themselves, from local 
governments and municipalities and civil society. 
 
¶19.   (SBU) The UN responded soon after through a 
disbursement from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). 
 OCHA used a cluster model to help ensure a coordinated 
response by implementing agencies with one lead agency for 
each of six clusters: logistics (WFP), water and sanitation 
(UNICEF), health and nutrition (WHO), food (WFP), emergency 
shelter (UNHCR) and protection (UNHCR). 
 
¶20.   (SBU) Egeland described the system of humanitarian hubs 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  008 OF 009 
 
 
and corridors used to bring humanitarian supplies into 
affected areas during the hostilities.  He displayed a graph 
of the number of trucks deployed per day during the crisis to 
illustrate the intermittent clearances for access he said 
OCHA was able to obtain through its communications channels 
with the IDF. 
 
¶21.   (SBU) Since the cessation of hostilities, 70 percent of 
IDPs have returned home.  Reflecting the rapid transition 
from the emergency response phase to early recovery, Egeland 
reported that the flash appeal has been revised downward to 
96 million.  The appeal has already been funded at a level of 
89 million, leaving a shortfall of only 7 million. 
 
¶22.   (SBU) Egeland said OCHA had obtained &shocking new 
information8 that 90 percent of cluster munitions used in 
Lebanon during the conflict were dropped in the final three 
days of fighting.  He estimated the total number of UXO at 
120,000 at least 100,000 of which he said are unexploded 
cluster bombs. 
 
¶23.   (SBU) He said remaining humanitarian priorities going 
forward: potable water, water/sanitation, emergency shelter, 
UXO clearance and mine action, emergency health supplies and 
fuel supplies. 
 
WORLD BANK STATEMENT 
-------------------- 
¶24.   (SBU) Country Director for Lebanon Joe Saba spoke about 
the economic challenges facing the country.  The pre-crisis 
recovery is now likely sharply reversed and the economy is 
expected to contract.  Saba said the GOL must lead a recovery 
and reconstruction effort that is &realistic and guided by 
the resources available8 without increasing the debt burden. 
 He indicated the GOL has asked the World Bank for assistance 
in identifying resources for an education project; scaling up 
existing projects, including the Beqaa and Southern Beirut 
water and sanitation projects; conducting economic and social 
impact assessments; expenditure reviews and contingency 
modeling; financial sector- and institution building; and 
cost and feasibility analyses.  Saba invited other UN 
agencies to join in these efforts. 
 
EU PRESENTATIONS 
 
STOCKHOLM 00001452  009 OF 009 
 
 
---------------- 
¶25.   (SBU) Speaking on behalf of the EU, Minister for 
Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Paula Lehtomaeki 
delivered a statement endorsing GOL leadership of the 
reconstruction effort and welcoming the establishment of a 
relief and recovery cell in the office of the PM to assume 
responsibility for coordination.  Lehtomaeki recognized the 
civilian suffering on both sides.  She urged Israel to lift 
the air and sea blockade, while acknowledging the need for 
effective measures to prevent arms not authorized by the GOL 
from entering the country.  She reminded the parties to the 
conflict of their obligation under international humanitarian 
law to grant humanitarian access.  Lehtomaeki cited 
contributions of troops and support functions for UNIFIL from 
member states as evidence of the EU,s commitment to the 
rapid and full implementation of 1701.  She also expressed 
the EU,s commitment to a comprehensive peace plan for the 
Middle East. 
 
¶26.   (SBU) EC External Affairs Commissioner Benita 
Ferrero-Waldner announced a package of humanitarian relief 
and early recovery assistance.  She said the EC is also 
supporting a Reconstruction Assistance Facility to help the 
government to lead the recovery effort.  She said the 
development objectives of EC assistance include economic and 
institutional reforms, and the recovery effort must be 
organized in the context of longer-term political and 
institutional development. 
 
¶27.   (SBU) Ambassador Marc Otte spoke on behalf of the 
Council of the EU, stressing the need to go beyond the 
cessation of hostilities and work toward a lasting political 
solution.  He described peace and stability in the Middle 
East as &an essential European interest8. 
WOOD