US and UN to hand out financial aid to Lebanon's security forces as hardship mounts

Discontent among security and army personnel on the rise as economy continues to fall apart

Members of the Lebanese security forces (ISF) will be eligible for $100 a month for six months. EPA

The first installment of a temporary financial support programme funded by the UN and US to preserve Lebanon’s military institutions will begin on Tuesday.

Payments will provide eligible members of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) with $100 a month for six months, the US embassy in Beirut announced on Monday.

“The initiation of cash disbursements is a concrete demonstration of the United States’ ongoing commitment to supporting the ISF’s critical efforts to uphold the rule of law and defend the people of Lebanon," a statement from the programme read.

Distribution to the ISF is the first tranche of an overall programme valued at $67 million, designed to mitigate hardship for members of Lebanon’s Armed Forces (LAF), the national army, and the Internal Security Forces, the national police and security force.

“This programme will help alleviate some of the economic hardship faced by ISF personnel who are exerting tremendous efforts to serve their country, its people and the residents on its lands, ultimately contributing to the overall security and stability of the country,” the US embassy said.

While cash distribution to the ISF will begin this week, disbursement to the Lebanese army would begin "very soon".

Lebanon’s military and security institutions have suffered extreme stress due to an economic crisis that has brought the country to the brink of collapse. In 2019, the first symptoms of financial deficiency began showing when the value of the national currency started to plummet. Today Lebanon's economic crisis is considered by the World Bank to be one of the worst in modern history and the national currency is worth less than 98 per cent of its previous value.

Before the economic turmoil, recruitment into the LAF or ISF meant financial stability and a host of benefits provided by the government, such as subsidised health care from which even immediate family members could benefit.

Those recruited into the institutions had little to worry about financially.

But within three years, LAF and ISF salaries have slumped to a pittance of what they were once worth. Army soldiers who in 2018 were paid $1,000 a month now make as little as the equivalent of $75. Some conscripts say they cannot even afford the cost of transport to show up for their service.

The financial shortfall has led to low morale among security forces, leading to fears of desertion and the subsequent disintegration of military institutions — all of which would have profound implications for Lebanon’s national security.

International donors — among which are the governments of Qatar, the US and the UK — have stepped in to provide temporary support and to entice members to show up for their service.