July 31, 2021
Miqati to Prioritize IMF Talks Once Cabinet is Formed
Wildfires Continue to Burn in Northern Lebanon
Hundreds of Thousands of Children in Lebanon are Going Hungry
Miqati to Prioritize IMF Talks Once Cabinet is Formed
Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s first priority after forming a government will be to resume talks with the IMF in order to unlock up to $4 billion in soft loans. To access these funds the IMF demands that a credible cabinet is formed and that the previously discussed reforms are implemented. [The Daily Star]
RESPONSE
“In order to gain the early confidence of the Lebanese, Prime Minister-designate Miqati should prioritize actions that will have the biggest positive effect on the widest number of Lebanon’s citizens. This will entail working immediately with the IMF to stabilize the lira, supporting international humanitarian aid to the country’s poorest while initiating a plan to revamp subsidies, and taking immediate steps to provide reliable electricity. Such a plan would demonstrate concrete commitments to serve all the people of Lebanon.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Wildfires Continue to Burn in Northern Lebanon
A wildfire that started on Wednesday in northern Lebanon continued to burn for the third day in a row on Friday. Lebanon’s military and firefighters are working to contain the fire but they report there are some areas they can’t reach. [France 24] The fire has spread across Lebanon’s border with Syria and unofficial estimates say 500 acres of forests in the region have been destroyed so far. Firefighters and air force helicopters have been working to put out the fire and Syrian helicopters have since joined in the efforts. Lebanon’s government is calling for urgent assistance from Cyprus. [AP]
RESPONSE
“What a coincidence…it was the government’s inability to handle fires in the center of the country in 2019, from the Chouf to Beirut, that was a key factor leading up to the October 17 demonstrations that toppled the government (the other being a tax on WhatsApp calls). Now a new government is about to be presented and fires are ravaging the north, near Tripoli, the home of PM-designate Najib Mikati. Let’s hope he takes this as a sign that governing Lebanon will take more than promises this time around, and uses his skills to broker the deals needed to lessen Lebanon’s despair.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Hundreds of Thousands of Children in Lebanon are Going Hungry
A Save the Children report found that hundreds of thousands of children are suffering from hunger since last year’s August 4 Beirut Port blast. Lebanon’s poorest families simply cannot afford basic goods. The report detailed that about 47% of Lebanon’s population cannot afford essentials like lentils, cooking oil, diapers, sanitary pads, and fuel. [Al Jazeera]
RESPONSE
“Save the Children, a worldwide humanitarian NGO, issued a dire assessment of the impact of the many crises affecting Lebanon on children in the country. It is a bleak vision for all residents with 90% of the Syrian refugee population unable to purchase basic goods, a condition shared with more than half of Lebanese families. Even the ramping up of humanitarian assistance from international organizations is only a temporary solution as living conditions continue to deteriorate. This is a crisis that is generations in the making and will take decades to resolve.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.