New British donations to Lebanese army

As part of its logistical support for the Lebanese army, the United Kingdom delivered 60 tons of equipment to the Lebanese army on Wednesday. The donations, worth £2 million ($2.5 million), consist mainly of spare parts and tires for the maintenance of the Land Rover armored patrol vehicles previously supplied by the British army.

A ceremony to formalize this delivery was held at the Kfar Shima barracks (Baabda), in the presence of several officers, including the army's head, General Joseph Aoun, and British Ambassador Hamish Cowell. The latter delivered a speech in which he assured the audience that the UK would continue to cooperate with the Lebanese army and provide it with "various forms of support in view of their essential role in maintaining stability and civil peace in Lebanon."

Long-standing support

"This package of 225 engines, 737 new tires and Land Rover spare parts will facilitate the servicing, repair and maintenance of over 440 military vehicles," he said. This will improve the operational readiness of land border regiments, mobility and road safety."

This new British donation is part of a long-standing logistical support program that has been in place since 2010. Under this scheme, the UK has provided almost £90 million ($113 million) to modernize the equipment of the Lebanese army.

Gravely affected by the financial crisis that has hit Lebanon since 2019, the army receives aid of all kinds from several countries, including the United States, Qatar, Italy, France, Turkey and Germany, which made another donation worth 2 million euros, including fuel and medical equipment.

In January 2023, Washington approved an unprecedented $72 million in aid for the Lebanese army and police. Under a joint program with the UN, the funds were to be used to pay salary supplements to compensate for the sharp drop in salaries due to the collapse of the Lebanese pound.

This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.