A Lebanese army patrol making a round near Beirut. (Credit: NNA)
The Lebanese army announced on Monday that it had received a fifth shipment of fuel donated by Qatar as part of its regular aid to the troops, at a time when soldiers have seen their living and working conditions deteriorate in the face of Lebanon's economic crisis.
At the end of August, Doha announced an initiative to provide $30 million worth of fuel to the Lebanese army. The donation followed an appeal for help launched a few days earlier by the army chief, General Joseph Aoun.
In a statement, the army thanked Qatar for its support, which enabled it to "face the current situation and growing challenges".
The Gulf country regularly provides aid to the troops. Over the past year, it has provided cash aid, distributed in the form of monthly payments of one hundred dollars to Lebanese soldiers, for a total amount of 60 million dollars.
This Qatari aid is part of a wider framework of donations to the army from numerous countries. The military currently receives cash payments from the United States and the UN, as well as from other countries such as Italy, France and Turkey, which have helped to support the troops with shipments of medicines and foodstuffs.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.