Germany is about to unveil a plan to rebuild Beirut port – but it’ll only happen if Lebanon roots out corruption: report

Germany is about to unveil a plan to rebuild Beirut port – but it’ll only happen if Lebanon roots out corruption: report

Germany plans to unveil a massive project to reconstruct the port of Beirut, but it would be conditional on Lebanon addressing rampant government corruption, sources have told Reuters. 

The multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan, which has not yet been financed, would be designed to attract cash from bodies such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sources told the news agency on Thursday. 

Beirut's port suffered catastrophe in August last year, when 2,750 tons of improperly-stored ammonium nitrate exploded, killing at least 100 people. The massive explosion, whose effects could be felt miles away, devastated much of the city. 

The explosive material had been impounded after being seized from an abandoned cargo ship in 2014, and remained in storage until it ignited in the horrifying event, as Insider reported. 

The country, which was already in the midst of a financial crisis, was left reeling. 

Two diplomatic sources with knowledge of the plans, who Reuters did not name, said the German government will make a multi-billion dollar proposal to rebuild the port and its surrounding area on April 7.

A senior Lebanese official, also unnamed, confirmed to the outlet that Germany was preparing a proposal for the port.

The German foreign ministry did not respond to