Beirut (Brussels Morning) – The EU pledges €1 billion in aid for Lebanon from 2024-2027, focusing on basic services, economic reforms, and security. Aim: support vulnerable communities, Syrian refugees, and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU will provide a financial assistance package for Lebanon worth €1 billion from 2024 to 2027. During her visit to Beirut, the European Commission President, accompanied by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, examined the important domestic and regional challenges encountered by Lebanon, and how best the EU could defend the country and its people.
What Services Will the EU Support in Lebanon?
The Press of the European Commission stated that this continued EU support will support basic services such as education, social protection and health for the people in Lebanon. It will accompany critical economic, financial and banking reforms. Furthermore, help will be provided to the Lebanese Armed Forces and other security forces with supplies and training for border management and to fight against smuggling.
President von der Leyen stated: “My visit today is a strong testimony of the EU’s continued support to Lebanon and its people. This was also the clear message of European leaders at our last summit, and are committed to providing strong financial support to the country in view of the significant challenges it faces. The €1 billion until 2027 will provide much-needed assistance to the people in Lebanon and contribute to its security and stability.”
The visit of President von der Leyen to Lebanon observes the special meeting of the European Council on 17-18 April, where the Council authorised the EU’s determination to support the most vulnerable people in Lebanon, including refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities, as well as maintaining support to Lebanese Armed Forces, fighting human trafficking and smuggling. The European Council also confirmed the need to achieve conditions for safe, voluntary, and noble returns of Syrian refugees, as defined by UNHCR.
What Reforms Will the EU Assist in Lebanon?
The EU’s support will concentrate on supporting basic services such as education, health, social protection and water to the weak people in Lebanon, including refugees, displaced persons, and host communities; helping urgent domestic reforms, in particular, those requested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including in the banking sector, contributing to enhanced economic situation and business environment; help for border and migration management, including combating human trafficking and smuggling, strengthened support to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Since 2011, the EU support for Lebanon has amounted to more than €3 billion, including €2.6 billion to sustain Syrian refugees as well as host communities in Lebanon.
What Challenges Does Lebanon Face?
Lebanon’s economy tumbled in late 2019, diverting the country into a launchpad for migrants, with Lebanese concatenating Syrians and Palestinian refugees pushing perilous voyages bound for Europe. The management in Beirut says Lebanon currently hosts around two million people from neighbouring, war-torn Syria — the world’s most elevated number of refugees per capita — with almost 785,000 registered with the United Nations.
What did the Lebanese PM say?
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed: “We reiterate our bid to the European Union… to help displaced people in their nations to encourage them to return voluntarily, and thus assure them a decent life in their country of origin. If we press on this issue, it is to warn against Lebanon becoming a transit country from Syria to Europe, and the problems at the Cypriot border are just one example of what could happen if this issue is not radically resolved.”
