Qatar gives Lebanon army first part of $60 million donation for troops' wages

Qatar gives Lebanon army first part of $60 million donation for troops' wages
Commander General Joseph Aoun, the head of Lebanon's army, applauded Qatar's assistance to Lebanon and the military during its financial woes.
1 min read
12 August, 2022
Lebanon's military said it has started giving the funds to members of the armed forces [Jospeh Eid/AFP via Getty-file photo]

Qatar has given Lebanon's army the first part of a $60 million donation to help pay soldier wages, Beirut's military said on Friday.

The military said it has started giving the funds to members of the armed forces.

It comes as Lebanon suffers from a devastating economic crisis which has seen its currency nosedive and poverty and inflation skyrocket.

Commander General Joseph Aoun, the head of the army, applauded Qatar's assistance to Lebanon and the military during its financial woes, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.

The $60 million in aid was first reported in late June.

Economy
Live Story

"This support comes as part of Qatar's commitment to support the Lebanese people, in addition to its firm belief in the importance and necessity of joint Arab action," Doha said.

It also announced in July 2021 that it was giving Lebanon's military 70 tons of food a month for a year.

Friday's news comes a day after the United Nations started distributing Saudi-donated aid in Lebanon.

The assistance was given "for a project to support food security, which targets more than 300,000 people in need in Lebanon", according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.