BEIRUT: Cyprus collects 240 tonnes of aid for blast victims

Cyprus will be shipping an additional 170 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Lebanon after Beirut was devastated by a massive explosion on August 4, the volunteerism commissioner’s office said.

The office said that the volume of items collected by Cypriots, companies, local authorities, the Cyprus Church and NGOs amounts to over 170 tonnes, in addition to 70 tonnes of aid that has already been sent and distributed in Lebanon.

“Success of the campaign has proven, one more time, the charity of our people. Cyprus, despite its small size, has collected 240 tonnes of humanitarian aid, surpassing aid sent to the people of Lebanon from much larger countries,” said the commissioner’s office.

“The contribution of our Volunteers to the whole effort was significant, as they undertook the receiving, sorting-out, and packaging of all donated items,” it added.

Beirut-bound aid will be loaded on containers at Limassol port on Friday.

Efforts have focused recently on clearing the parts of the port worst affected by the blast that ripped across swathes of Beirut and killed more than 180 people.

The blast, one of the largest in recent history, levelled entire sectors of the port, created a 43-metre-deep crater that was covered by the sea and sent a shockwave that damaged property and wounded people several miles away.

Aftershocks could be felt in nearby Cyprus while rising smoke clouds could also be seen.