U.S. President Joe Biden pledged $100 million in aid for Lebanon during the international conference held to support the country on Wednesday.
“Today I’m announcing a nearly $100 million in new humanitarian assistance,” Biden told the conference, co-hosted by France and the United Nations.
“But no amount of outside assistance will ever be enough if Lebanon’s leaders do not commit to do the hard but necessary work of reforming the economy and combating corruption,” he said.
“It is essential. It has to start now. There is no time to waste. You know it,” the U.S. President stressed. “We are there to help if you do it.”
The aid comes in addition to $560 million in aid sent to Lebanon by the U.S. over the past two years, including in the aftermath of the deadly explosion that tore through Beirut on August 4, 2020.
“I send my deepest condolences to all those who were injured and lost loved ones and all those still struggling to recover from this trauma,” Biden added.
“We also recognize that the people of Lebanon have suffered more over the past year because of avoidable political and economic crisis.”
In total, $370 million in humanitarian assistance were raised during the donor conference, including over $118 million from France.
The prevailing economic crisis in Lebanon was deemed by the World Bank among the worst since the mid-19th century, and there seems to be no solution on the horizon in light of the political deadlock that is holding back the formation of a rescue government.
It is only through a mission-oriented government of specialists that Lebanon would be able to benefit from international support, which is essential to help it avoid total collapse and recover.
