France pledged a €100 million ($108 million) package to support Lebanon at an international conference, AP News reported.
President Emmanuel Macron stated that Lebanon, where the war between Hezbollah and Israel had displaced a million people, needed “massive aid.”
In the immediate term, massive aid is needed for the Lebanese population, both for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war and for the communities hosting them.
French organisers hope the Paris conference, which brought together more than 70 countries and international organisations, will raise enough money to provide $426 million in humanitarian aid.
Germany also pledged €96 million in humanitarian aid for both Lebanon and neighbouring Syria, affected by the escalating violence in the Middle East. Italy announced an additional €10 million in aid for Lebanon this week. However, experts warn that Lebanon could face difficulties in receiving aid as its growing reliance on a cash economy fuelled corruption risks.
The aid package includes “helping with health care, fuel, small equipment, but also supporting the plan to recruit at least 6,000 additional soldiers and to enable the deployment of at least 8,000 additional soldiers in the south.”
The Israeli army apologised for Sunday’s strike, which it said mistakenly killed three soldiers. Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the international community to take action.
The devastating impact of this war on our nation cannot be overstated, and it has left a trail of destruction and misery in its wake. The Israeli’s aggression has not only caused immense human suffering and loss of lives, but also inflicted severe damage to the country’s infrastructure, economy and social fabric.
Lebanon needs support
Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is not prepared to cope with the crisis and increased demands on the health system. A number of hospitals have been evacuated due to airstrikes nearby and concerns that they could be targeted. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army suffers from the five-year economic crisis, runs an outdated arsenal and lacks air defences.
The conference will also discuss how to support the 10,500-soldier UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL. European countries, including France, Italy and Spain, contribute a third of its troops.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that “attacks on UN peacekeepers are totally unacceptable and are contrary to international law, contrary to international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime.”
Middle East expert Rym Montaz said France’s historical ties to Lebanon, a former colony, allowed Paris to coordinate “a proper response to the massive challenge that the war in Lebanon now poses.”
What we do know is that without a strengthened Lebanese armed forces and UNIFIL, there can be no sustainable peace and stability at the border between Lebanon and Israel. As such, the French efforts are important and crucial for the way forward.
