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.

Lebanese Parliament Holds Another Unsuccessful Session on Presidency
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanese MPs failed on Thursday — at the end of a sixth dedicated parliamentary session — to elect a successor to former President Michel Aoun, whose term expired on Oct. 31.” [L’Orient Today]

Recent Outbreak of Cholera in Lebanon Reaches 20 Deaths and 569 Confirmed Cases
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanon on Thursday recorded one new cholera death and two new cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 569 confirmed cases and 20 deaths, the Health Ministry said in its daily report published Thursday night.” [L’Orient Today]

Finance and Budget Committee in Lebanese Parliament Discusses Sovereign Wealth Fund
According to L’Orient Today, “Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by Ibrahim Kanaan (Free Patriotic Movement/Metn), held a meeting Wednesday focusing on the draft law for the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund. The fund would theoretically be fed by the potential revenues from exploiting the country’s hoped-for offshore hydrocarbon reserves.” [L’Orient Today]

FPM Head Comes Out Against Marada Movement Candidate
According to Naharnet, “Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has stressed that the FPM will not endorse the presidential nomination of Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh, even if all other parties agree on him. ‘The FPM would not lose if Suleiman Franjieh becomes president… and he does not represent a threat to us,’ Bassil is heard telling supporters in a leaked audio recorded during his ongoing visit to Paris.” [Naharnet]

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.”

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“Pomegranates stuffed with pills, dummy corporations, false certificates: How did Lebanon become a hub for trafficking Captagon? Do the authorities have the means to fight it? Does this export product also wreak havoc among Lebanese youth? And why do some local barons still escape justice? L’Orient-Le Jour digs past the headlines on Captagon through this four-article series.”

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