Beirut's Grand Serail. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
The Lebanese government announced on Tuesday that 108 million euros in humanitarian aid has been disbursed to NGOs in the country. This funding represents only 13.9 percent of the nearly $775 million pledged by the international community at the Oct. 24 Paris conference in support of Lebanon.
An additional $240 million has been pledged to the Lebanese Army as the Israeli offensive intensifies. Since Sept. 23, the conflict has resulted in over 3,000 fatalities and billions of dollars in damages.
Details regarding nearly a billion dollars in humanitarian and military aid to Lebanon were released Tuesday at a meeting at the Grand Serail. Attendees included: Nasser Yassin, caretaker Minister of the Environment and coordinator of the emergency committee, Imran Riza, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon and representatives from relevant ministries and international organizations
Contrary to earlier statements, $108 million in international aid has been disbursed directly to NGOs in Lebanon, rather than through U.N. agencies as initially indicated by the French presidency. This information was revealed during a meeting at the Grand Serail and reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The French presidency had specified that the aid would go through U.N. agencies and not through Lebanese government authorities. The decision to distribute aid directly to NGOs reflects the international community's concerns about endemic corruption within the Lebanese government. This corruption has contributed significantly to the unprecedented crisis facing the country since 2019.
Lebanese and U.N. officials have collaborated to establish a coordination mechanism with donor countries. This framework aims to ensure the efficient delivery of promised aid across various humanitarian sectors in Lebanon. No information has been released by Lebanese authorities regarding the specifics of the aid distribution process.
Amid the ongoing conflict, more than 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut's southern suburbs, according to Lebanese authorities.
Main donors to Lebanon revealed; Saudi Arabia notably absent
For the first time, a detailed list of donor countries and international institutions contributing to Lebanon's humanitarian and military aid has been released. The list, published by the NNA alongside its report on the Grand Serail meeting, reveals the 29 donors and their total contributions.
The United States has emerged as the leading donor to Lebanon, contributing $295.2 million in humanitarian and military aid. Other major contributors include the United Arab Emirates with $130 million, France with $108 million, Germany with $103.68 million, the European Union with $86.4 million, Canada with $36 million and Qatar with $15 million.
Notably, Saudi Arabia, historically a major financial supporter of Lebanon, is absent from the list of contributing countries. Despite not being listed among official donors, Saudi Arabia has maintained a humanitarian airlift to Beirut for several weeks.
This operation has delivered crucial aid to Lebanon, with approximately 20 planes carrying medical supplies and food. The complexities of the situation are underscored by the strained relationship between Beirut and Riyadh. Tensions have escalated in recent years due to Hezbollah's support for Iran and its hostility toward Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh has called on Lebanese authorities to address this issue, but Hezbollah, a powerful force in Lebanese politics with representation in both the government and parliament, remains a significant challenge.
Monitoring and transparency of aid to Lebanon
The meeting at the Grand Serail also addressed the development of a unified platform to monitor aid distribution to displaced populations. This collaborative effort between the emergency committee and the U.N. aims to ensure transparency and provide full access to data on aid delivery.
On Monday, at a joint summit in Riyadh between the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation focused on the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the international community to maintain humanitarian aid. He also announced that Lebanon is establishing an international reconstruction fund, supervised by the U.N.
