U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a memorandum that orders the provision of $47 million of aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Issued on Tuesday, the memorandum allocates $47 million to help the Lebanese Army combat the effects of the ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon.
Soaring inflation and an unabated deterioration in overall living conditions have plunged many Lebanese soldiers below the poverty line.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to withdraw $25 million in goods and services from the U.S. government and direct it as immediate assistance to Lebanon’s military institution, as per the memorandum.
The remaining $22 million of the package will also be immediately provided to the Lebanese Army, in the form of defense materials and supplies.
In June, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun campaigned for support in an international conference aimed at helping the army cope with the worsening conditions in Lebanon.
Earlier this year, the U.S. announced that it would raise its annual support funding to the Lebanese Army to $120 million, an increase of $15 million compared to last year.
On a similar note, in the recent international conference co-hosted by France and the U.N. to support Lebanon, U.S. President Biden pledged to allocate nearly $100 million in additional humanitarian aid to the crisis-hit country.
