ISF members outside a detention center in Beirut on Aug. 7, 2022. (Credit: Illustration photo, Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — The US Embassy in Beirut and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced on Monday the launch of a financial support program for eligible members of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), starting April 18, in the form of cash payments of $100 per month for six months, the US Embassy said in a statement.
The first tranche of this "Livelihood Support Program" will provide a total of $16.5 million. This program aims to alleviate some of the economic difficulties faced by security personnel, who make "considerable efforts" to serve their country and its people, "ultimately contributing to the overall security and stability of the country," the statement said.
Under the US-funded initiative, UNDP is working with an unnamed "nationwide financial service provider" to distribute the funds to eligible ISF members. Recipients will receive text messages from this provider over three days beginning April 18, with the first payment ready for disbursement upon receipt of the text message.
"The launch of the cash payments is a tangible indication of the United States' continued commitment to supporting the ISF's critical efforts to uphold the rule of law and protect the Lebanese people," the statement added.
The Lebanese Army will also benefit from this US-sponsored program, implemented by the United Nations Development Program, in a second phase.
In January 2023, the US announced a $72 million assistance package to the Lebanese Army and police, paid over six months to supplement salaries, under a joint program with the UN. Law enforcement agencies have been hard hit by the socio-economic crisis rocking the country since 2019. The average monthly salary of a Lebanese soldier is now about $50, compared to about $800 before the crisis, and that of an officer is around $100.
Other financial aid, as well as helicopters and food rations, have poured in from other foreign sources in recent years to deal with the crisis.
Qatar also provides financial aid to the military.
