United Nations releasing $9 million to help Beirut hospitals

United Nations says it is releasing $9 million to address immediate needs following explosion that devastated Beirut and help strengn operations in city's hospitals.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Thursday money from Lebanese Humanitarian Fund will be following by additional funds from U.N.'s Central Emergency Response Fund.

He said U.N. is carrying out assessments of dam and needs resulting from massive explosion and hopes to hold a meeting on Monday to inform 193 U.N. member states of results and launch an appeal to help Leban.

He says: “We're trying to get relevant figures ready as soon as we can.” Haq said World Health Organization reported that blast left three hospitals unusable and two ors with substantial dam and that “ equivalent of 500 hospital beds have been lost." He said initial $9 million will be used to expand and establish additional intensive care units where needed and provide trauma kits, ventilators, medical supplies and medicine.

WHO will help “cover 1,000 trauma interventions and 1,000 surgical interventions for people suffering from burns and wounds caused by glass and or debris resulting from blast.”