From the BBC:
“Lebanon army appeals for aid
as economic crisis leaves soldiers hungry”
(A soldier's monthly salary is
only worth about $80 (£57) at the black market exchange rate)
Lebanon's army is appealing to
world powers for aid to help it survive the country's economic collapse, which
has left soldiers "suffering and hungry". The Lebanese pound has lost
90% of its value since 2019, wiping out soldiers' salaries and the army's
budget. A donor conference hosted by France is not being asked for funds but
rather food, fuel, medicine and spare parts. The army is one of the few
institutions seen as a unifying and stabilising force in the deeply divided
country.
It has a reputation for
neutrality and enjoys broad support among all of the 18 recognised religious
groups, as well as the many political factions. Western powers also view the
army as a counterweight to the powerful, Iran-backed militant Shia Islamist
movement, Hezbollah, which refuses to disarm. "The Lebanese army is the
pillar in Lebanon and ensures that the security situation in the country
doesn't degenerate so it's an immediate interest to help them carry out their
mission," an official at the French armed forces ministry told reporters. France
organised Thursday's donor conference after Lebanese army chief General Joseph
Aoun made headlines in March by warning his soldiers were "suffering and
hungry like the rest of the people". He also openly criticised Lebanon's
political leaders, who have been unable to agree on the make-up of a new
cabinet since caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab's resigned after the
devastating explosion at Beirut's port last August. "Where are we going?
What do you intend to do?" he asked them. In a speech on Tuesday, General
Aoun said: "We are forced to turn to allied states to secure aid, and I am
ready to go to the end of the world to procure assistance so that the army can
stay on its feet."
AFP news agency cited a source
close to the French defence minister as saying the Lebanese army had "very
specific needs" for milk, flour, medical supplies, fuel and spare parts
for military equipment. The US said last month that it would increase its
funding for the army for this year by $15m to $120m.
The World Bank recently warned
that Lebanon was enduring a severe and prolonged economic depression that was
possibly one of the three worst seen by the world since the mid-19th Century. It
estimated that Lebanon's real gross domestic product (GDP) had shrunk by 20.3%
in 2020, on the back of a 6.7% contraction in 2019, and was projected to shrink
another 9.5% this year. The depreciation of the Lebanese pound had resulted in
surging inflation, which averaged 84% last year, it said. More than half of the
population is believed to be living below the national poverty line, with the
bulk of the labour force suffering from plummeting purchasing power. And an
increasing share of households is facing difficulty in accessing basic
services, including healthcare. A regular soldier in the Lebanese army earns
about 1.25m Lebanese pounds a month. That is worth $800 (£574) at the official
exchange rate, but only about $80 at the black market exchange rate. That has
caused low morale in the army, which saw its overall number of personnel fall
by more than 3,000 to 80,874 at the start of the year, according to Aram
Nerguizian of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
^ This is a disgrace for any
country (when Soldiers protecting your own country) have to beg other countries
for food. ^
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