The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged this week an additional $40 million in humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people affected by the economic and financial crisis in Lebanon, as well as the pandemic.
These include Lebanese citizens and displaced Syrian refugees, about 740,000 people who will be provided emergency food assistance for 4 months, through USAID partnership with the UN World Food program.
“This latest USAID contribution comes as food prices continue to rise in Lebanon due to the collapsing currency and the overlapping crises that exacerbate food insecurity and diminish people’s ability to purchase basic necessities,” the USAID said in its statement.
The United States has been providing humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, contributing more than $440 million since 2020 when the economy started to worsen.
“The United States remains deeply concerned about the rising humanitarian needs in Lebanon,” the statement continued, urging “other donors to increase their contributions for this response.”
This comes in addition to the various projects of support by the U.S. in recent times, notably a $57 million agriculture project for the development of Lebanon’s rural economies via the agri-food industry, and a $29 million project to deliver reliable energy across the country.
