A 10-tonne shipment which was sent through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and included medical equipment and supplies to help Lebanon in its fight against COVID-19 in 2020. (Credit: @qatarliving/ X)
BEIRUT — Qatar has continuously aided Lebanon since the end of the Civil War (1975-1990).
Providing monetary aid and political support, the country has helped Lebanon resolve various political crises over the years.
This is a timeline depicting the relationship between the two countries over the years:
1990s: Qatar contributed to Lebanon's post-civil war constructions efforts. It did not publicize the exact number of financial aid it gave the country.
“Qatar was undergoing political tension when Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad was replaced by his son Hamad bin Khalifa on 27 June 1995,” Mohanad Hage Ali, a researcher at Carnegie Middle East told L’Orient Today. “Therefore its presence as a regional actor was not yet heavy,” Hage Ali explained.
In the immediate post-Civil War era, several countries, most notably Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, sent Lebanon aid.
2006: During the 2006 war with Israel, Qatar, which had a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council that year, pushed Lebanon’s interests in negotiations to approve a French-US draft resolution.
Women in South Lebanon waving the Qatari and Lebanese flag in 2006. (Credit: AFP/File photo)
After the 34- day war ended, Qatar donated a quarter of a billion dollars to the town of Bint Jbeil in south Lebanon to support its reconstruction efforts, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported.
The humanitarian organization Qatar Charity carried out development projects in villages across south Lebanon at a cost of 14 million Qatari riyals (around $3 million dollars).
Qatar also sent relief materials to Lebanon, which included mattresses, blankets, food items and essential products for children, such as diapers and milk. Tens of thousands of displaced families benefited from the campaign and received "Provisions Basket" which included foodstuff and other materials.
2008: In May 2008, Qatar mediated a political agreement between Lebanon's political factions, known as the Doha Agreement. Lebanon's 2008 crisis was sparked by political struggle between the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and an opposition, led by Hezbollah.
The crisis peaked on May 7, 2008, when armed Hezbollah militants invaded several neighborhoods of West Beirut and the surrounding villages in the mostly Druze-Christian Mountain area.
The Qatari government played a crucial role in mediating talks between the rival Lebanese factions.
A sign in Downtown Beirut after the 2006 war which reads "We all thank Qatar." (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP/ File photo)
The negotiations took place in Doha, Qatar's capital, which is why the 2008 agreement is often referred to as the Doha Agreement. The Doha Agreement set out several key provisions, most notably the election of a consensus president, which resulted in the inauguration of Michel Suleiman to the presidency.
The Doha agreement also resulted in the formation of a national unity government, which included Hezbollah and its allies.
2012: Qatar pledged $20 million to support Lebanon's security forces, with the aim of improving their capacity to maintain peace and security in the country, a Lebanese Army source told L'Orient Today.
2013: "Qatar donated $10 million to the Lebanese Army," Hage Ali told L'Orient Today. This "further strengthened the nation's security infrastructure."
2017: Qatar pledged $150 million in assistance to support infrastructure projects throughout Lebanon, focused especially on education and healthcare, the Army source told L'Orient Today.
2020: In April 2020, Qatar sent a 10-tonne shipment through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) that included medical equipment and supplies to help Lebanon in its fight against COVID-19.
Following the Beirut port explosion on Aug. 4 2020, Qatar sent immediate humanitarian aid, medical supplies and a field hospital to help Lebanon respond to the crisis.
The blast that ravaged Beirut killed over 220 people, wounded more than 6,500 and destroyed swaths of the capital.
Qatar dispatched search and rescue teams to assist in the aftermath of the port explosion, providing support during the challenging time.
A Qatar airways plane in Beirut International Airport carrying aid after the Aug.4 2020 explosion. (Credit: Qatar Airways/Facebook)
Five airplanes carrying aid were sent to Lebanon after the explosion, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported at the time. This included two fully equipped field hospitals with 500 beds each.
Qatar also donated $50 million towards post-blast reconstruction efforts in Beirut.
2021: In July, Qatar pledged to provide the Lebanese armed forces with 70 tonnes of food a month.
Qatari aid arriving in Beirut, Lebanon after the Aug.4 2020 explosion. (Credit: AFP)
2022: In July 2022, Qatar pledged to contribute $60 million to the salaries of Lebanese soldiers. An army spokesperson told L’Orient Today that the sum is going directly to soldiers' salaries, with each soldier receiving $100.
The aid, of which the first two batches were received by Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health on 22 July 2022, was reportedly part of a $50 million support package by QFFD, extended over nine months. Almost 1.5 million liters of diesel were distributed among health facilities, such as government hospitals and care homes.
2023: In July, the state-run Qatar News Agency announced that the Qatar Fund for Development will supply Lebanon's army with fuel worth $30 million.
In August 2023, QNA stated that the QFFD will supply Lebanon's army with fuel worth $30 million. QNA added that the agreement comes "within the framework of Qatar's commitment to Lebanon's institutions and to stand by the Lebanese people."
Qatar is a member of the so-called Group of Five in Lebanon, which includes France, the US, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This group is trying to find a solution to Lebanon's ongoing presidential vacuum. Several reports suggest that Qatar supports Lebanese Army Gen. Joseph Aoun for the presidency.