Qatar has announced that it will provide Lebanese troops with 70 tonnes of food aid per month in response to Beirut’s appeal for assistance amid a worsening economic crisis.
The Gulf kingdom’s statements come as Qatari Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited the Mediterranean country on Tuesday. The state-run Qatar News Agency reported that the support is part of Qatar’s “constant endeavours to help resolve the political crisis in Lebanon […] in addition to its firm belief in the importance and necessity of the joint Arab action.”
During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed met a number of Lebanese officials, including President Michel Aoun, caretaker PM Hassan Diab, PM-designate Saad Hariri, and army commander General Joseph Aoun. Lebanese President Aoun hailed Qatar’s support, saying that it would help “overcome the difficult circumstances through which his country is passing.”
The Qatari deputy PM’s meetings come after several Lebanese leaders appealed for foreign aid to help mitigate the country’s ongoing economic and political crisis. On Tuesday, caretaker PM Diab warned that Lebanon is descending towards a “social explosion” and appealed for international assistance. Similarly, last month, Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun called on the international community to continue supporting the country’s armed forces. Aoun raised concerns about the dire economic situation in the country and said that the ongoing crisis could affect the military harshly. Moreover, he warned that the deteriorating financial situation would “inevitably lead to the collapse of institutions, including the military establishment”. He called the army the “last institution” still capable of defending Lebanon’s “security and stability.”
Lebanon has been facing an acute economic and political crisis for several years. The country descended into chaos following last year’s devastating blast at the Beirut Port, which resulted in more than 200 deaths and about $15 billion in economic losses. The government also stepped down after the explosion and has been unable to form a new cabinet ever since. In addition, the country has severe food, medicine, and fuel shortages. The GDP growth rate has crashed by around 40%, unemployment levels have skyrocketed, and inflation has soared.
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Furthermore, the World Bank stated that the country’s economic crisis ranks as one of the worst the world has witnessed in over 150 years. It reported that “Lebanon is enduring a severe and prolonged economic depression, which is among the most severe crisis episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century.” The World Bank believes that the crisis can only be resolved by a “reform-minded government which embarks on a credible path toward economic and financial recovery.”