Lebanese soldiers patrol in the streets of Tripoli. (Credit: Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP/File photo)
The Lebanese Army announced on Wednesday that it has started distributing to the military the fourth instalment of a financial donation offered by the emir of Qatar. The donation is aimed at improving the living and working conditions of soldiers, which have deteriorated sharply in a Lebanon in the midst of economic collapse.
"This donation was made as part of Qatar's welcome initiatives in the face of this exceptionally difficult period in Lebanon's history, in order to support members of the army and help improve their living conditions," the army said in a brief statement.
The distribution of the funds "in an equitable manner," at the rate of $100 paid in addition to the monthly pay of each soldier, began on Wednesday, the text added.
At the end of June, the army had indicated that Qatar was providing a $60 million donation, to be paid in several instalments starting in August. A military spokesman told L'Orient Today that each soldier will receive $100 in addition to his monthly pay, thanks to this aid. He also said that the emirate "has been sending 70 tons of food to the military institution for about a year."
The economic crisis in Lebanon, one of the worst in the world since the mid-1800s, according to the World Bank, has drained the treasury and the armed forces, and plunged most of the population into poverty.
In the face of the depreciation of the Lebanese lira, the current average salary of a soldier is now worth less than $100 per month. Before the crisis, the average soldier's pay was equivalent to $800 per month. The army regularly receives aid from foreign countries. Qatar has also recently donated medicine for chronic illnesses to Lebanon.
The donations come following the army's commander-in-chief, Gen. Joseph Aoun, reception in Doha in early December to discuss aid to the troops.