A Lebanese army soldier. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/OLJ)
The Lebanese army has received an additional $20 million from Qatar to support its troops, according to a statement from the Army reported on Monday by the official National News Agency (NNA).
"The army command has received a new installment of Qatari aid allocated by the Emir of Qatar, sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in the ongoing support of the military institution amidst current challenges," the statement read.
It added that the funds "will be distributed equitably to soldiers once administrative procedures are finalized." Army Commander General Joseph Aoun thanked Qatar for the initiative, noting it helps ease the crisis burden on soldiers.
The financial aid comes amid recent clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, exchanging near-daily fire since the Gaza War began on Oct. 7, 2023, between Israel and Hamas. The Lebanese army is not involved in these clashes, but last December, an Israeli airstrike on a military post in South Lebanon killed one Lebanese soldier and injured three others.
A security source told Reuters the new Qatari aid supplements an initial $60 million package announced in 2022, disbursed in installments to mitigate the impact of the Lebanese Lira's depreciation against the dollar following the 2019 economic crisis. The source specified that each soldier is set to receive $100 monthly, though details on the duration of these payments were not provided. However, the amount remains modest in Lebanon's dollar-dependent economy, heavily reliant on imports, with public sector salaries yet to fully compensate for the currency's depreciation since 2019.