Donors pledge more than $940 million for Lebanon

World donors on Thursday nearly doubled the amount of money sought to help to rebuild Lebanon, with more $940 million pledged for early reconstruction efforts. Donors also called for Israel to lift its blockade of the country. The amount was more than the $500 million that organizers of the donors' conference in Stockholm had requested to help Lebanon recover after the monthlong fighting. Adding previous pledges and commitments for longer-term reconstruction projects, organizers said a total of $1.2 billion had been made available to help the war-crippled country get back on its feet.