The American Task Force on Lebanon hosted a special debrief and moderated discussion with USAID Administrator Samantha Power on Wednesday, November 16th.

Just last week, Administrator Power was on official travel to Lebanon, where she focused on food security, higher education, energy, and other priorities. ATFL is grateful to Administrator Power for taking the time to engage with the Lebanese American community and friends of Lebanon in the US to share key findings from her timely visit.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power Announces More Than $72 Million in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Lebanon
“The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing more than $72 million in emergency food assistance to more than 650,000 vulnerable people in Lebanon, including refugees from Syria and other countries. This funding, through the United Nations World Food Program, will provide household food parcels – including rice, lentils, and chickpeas – for Lebanese families, and electronic food vouchers for Syrian refugees to use in local shops, which supports the Lebanese economy.”

Read Full Statement Here

EDL To Issue New Tariffs This February
According to L’Orient Today, “Bills from Electricité du Liban, Lebanon’s state-owned power provider, will be calculated in dollars but collected monthly in Lebanese lira, according to the dollar-lira exchange rate as per the central bank’s Sayrafa platform’s rate [with new bills set to be issued by the end of February 2023, marking the first change in price since 1994].” [L’Orient Today]

Group of 13 MP’s File Partial Appeal Against Banking Secrecy Law
According to Naharnet, “Thirteen MPs have filed a partial appeal before the Constitutional Council against the new banking secrecy law . . . The appeal was submitted by the MPs Jradeh, Firas Hamdan, Osama Saad, Abdul Rahman al-Bizri, Paula Yacoubian, Charbel Masaad, Cynthia Zarazir, Yassine Yassine, Halima Qaaqour, Nabil Bader, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Waddah al-Sadek and Rami Fanj.” [Naharnet]

‘Framework Agreement’ Rumored in Background of Presidential Gridlock
According to Naharnet, “Consultations are ongoing between the U.S., France and Saudi Arabia to reach a ‘framework agreement’ over the new Lebanese president, in coordination with Egypt and a number of regional countries, highly informed sources said.” [Naharnet]

Opposition MP’s Convened Once Again, Aiming to Build Agreement on Presidency 
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanon’s opposition MPs held a meeting in Parliament on Tuesday to ‘break the wall of obstruction’ and discuss approaches toward electing a new president for the country, with no agreement on a single candidate, Forces of Change MP Mark Daou told L’Orient Today. ‘We will leave the MPs the freedom [of choice] in that matter for now, while this is still the first meeting we hold,’ adding that the opposition will discuss a consensus approach on a single name in the meetings to follow.” [L’Orient Today]

AbiNader writes, “Lebanon’s fragility is underscored by its gravely weakened education and health sectors; the miserable condition and cost of public transportation; its devalued economy; and the ongoing threats to its security and stability. Anyone who says that these are temporary conditions has not been in the streets of Lebanon lately. Consider the cholera-infested areas of the north, Lebanese dumpster diving in Beirut, or the littered streets and beaches. While there is some agreement that a consensus president is needed, the lack of agreement on implementing the IMF reform package is less reassuring . . . The hollowing out of state institutions and protections of civil and human rights will delay the reconstructing of a credible, professional public sector. The first needed remediation is a package of social support services that are inclusive, equitable, and transparent. As of now, the social contract between the state and its employees is frazzled, fraught with omissions, exclusions, and nepotism, and subject to the whims of political leaders ensuring their survival by pandering to their constituents.”

Read More Here