Lebanese Army commander Joseph Aoun meeting a Qatari delegation in Yarzeh, Sept. 17, 2024. (Photo from the army's website)
Qatar announced on Tuesday a donation of $15 million to the Lebanese army so that it can supply itself with fuel for three months, against the backdrop of the economic crisis that continues in Lebanon and has affected the capacities of the troops.
The Qatari Fund for Development announced this donation on X "to provide fuel to the Lebanese army for a period of three months, from Oct. 1 until the end of the year."
According to a statement by the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the commander of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, spoke with the Qatari ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abderrahmane al-Thani, as well as the acting director general of the Qatari Fund for Development, Sultan al-Assiri, on "ways to support" the troops.
Aoun thanked Doha for this assistance, "which is part of Qatar's ongoing initiatives" to support the army. This assistance "reflects Qatar's commitment to its support for Lebanon's security and stability in this exceptional period," the commander added.
Weighed down by the depreciation of the Lebanese pound, the average salary of a soldier is currently less than $100 per month. Before the crisis, the average salary of a soldier was equivalent to $800 per month. To cope with this crisis, the army is receiving occasional aid from several countries.
Qatar provided cash aid during 2023, distributed in the form of monthly payments of one hundred dollars to Lebanese soldiers over the past year, for a total amount of $60 million. Doha also provided fuel to the troops for several months, during the second part of 2023, as well as dozens of tons of food products.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.