The Louvre, UNESCO, and Other Cultural Organizations Unite to Provide $5 Million in ‘Cultural First Aid’ to Beirut
On August 11, nearly 30 international cultural institutions including the Louvre, the Global Heritage Fund, the World Monuments Fund, UNESCO and the ICOM have signed a declaration of solidarity with Lebanon and have committed themselves to doing everything possible to provide first cultural aid and assistance to promote the complete recovery of the heritage that was damaged in Beirut by the explosion. The $5 million package announced by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), based in Geneva, is the first concrete delivery of this commitment and includes emergency aid for about 20 cultural organisations, including the National Museum of the city, which contains archaeological treasures, which the Louvre Museum is helping to restore in collaboration with the Directorate of Antiquities of Lebanon and the Sursock Museum, which houses a collection of modern and contemporary art.
