JULY 11, 2021
US, French, and Saudi Officials Meet to Discuss Lebanon
Medicine and Fuel Shortages Plague Lebanon’s Health Sector
Education in Lebanon Drops Off During Crises
Protests to Lift Immunities on Lebanese Officials
US, French, and Saudi Officials Meet to Discuss Lebanon
On Thursday, US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea and French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo traveled to Saudi Arabia for meetings with officials following Secretary Blinken’s meeting with French and Saudi counterparts at G20. They discussed Lebanon’s dire conditions, humanitarian assistance, and increased support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces. Ambassador Shea will continue to develop a trilateral diplomatic strategy with her counterparts focused on government formation and reforms. [State Press Briefing] Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister discussed humanitarian assistance and the need for economic reform in Lebanon with Secretary Blinken and in Washington. [Naharnet]
RESPONSE
“The Biden administration is continuing to make Lebanon a foreign policy priority. These meetings signal enhanced US leadership efforts when it comes to Lebanon and the United States should continue to pressure Lebanese officials in lockstep with France and other partners. Lebanon’s government needs to know that anything short of a new government capable of reform is unacceptable. The Lebanese people deserve good governance.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Medicine and Fuel Shortages Plague Lebanon’s Health Sector
Amid Lebanon’s multiple financial and economic crises, the country’s health sector is deteriorating. Because of the current medicine shortage, vital drugs that are needed to treat cardiac diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis are out of stock. [Al Arabiya] Meanwhile fuel shortages are affecting everyone in Lebanon, doctors included, as emergency room physicians struggle to fill up their cars to get to work. Electricity cuts hit hospitals too, and private generators have had to be used to fill the gap. [Arab News]
RESPONSE
“Dr. Petra Khoury, head of Lebanon’s Committee to Fight COVID, has said, ‘there was a time recently when we had reversed the brain drain of qualified doctors and medical technicians leaving the country and encouraged many highly qualified individuals to return. Now the reverse is happening again with doctors and nurses leaving the country…We are a third world country with a first world health sector, until now.’ Even a young child with the need for brain surgery had to be turned away at AUB hospital as there are no more specialists with this expertise. How can this government and its political leaders allow this to continue? They need to step aside and let a competent government of reformists immediately work with the IMF to turn this situation around. Shame on those who continue to be obstacles to the proper care of the Lebanese citizens.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Education in Lebanon Drops Off During Crises
Education has also taken a hit because of Lebanon’s declining situation. Dire conditions have forced many families to pull their children out of school to go to work. Teachers are leaving Lebanon as the currency drop continues to devalue their salaries. [The 961] In the last week the education ministry cancelled middle school exams over concerns from parents and teaching staff that students are not prepared for them. [Reuters]
RESPONSE
“It is sickening to think of the talent drain that is happening in Lebanon as people of all ages emigrate for better opportunities. I suppose that offspring of the leadership have their exit plans too but then of course don’t worry about having gas for their cars, food for their tables, or adequate health care, let alone education. Lebanon, once the bedazzling cultural center of the Arab world in the 60s and 70s, has fallen into disrepair; and all the speeches, conferences, and good intentions can’t repair the lost years of the young who are being systematically and routinely robbed of their futures. Shame on the government; shame on the Presidents real and in the wings; and sadness for the Lebanese who can’t make the oligarchs feel the pain of losing their country.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Protests to Lift Immunities on Lebanese Officials Surrounding Beirut Explosion
After Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister denied a judge’s request to question General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim over the Beirut port explosion, families of the victims of last year’s tragedy gathered to protest. During the parliament meeting to discuss the judge’s request, protesters called for the immunities given to Lebanese officials to be removed. The parliament meeting determined that the final decision on removing immunities will be decided in the next 15 days. [The 961]
RESPONSE
“The one-year marking of the August 4 Beirut Port explosions cannot pass without worldwide condemnation of the lack of a credible investigation that highlights the technical details of the blasts and the political accountability of those whose inaction led to the catastrophe. Lebanese officials can hide behind finger-pointing at the other guys but, this time, let’s hope they won’t succeed. And let’s not forget that the human and economic costs are still being tallied as Lebanon continues to dissolve.”
-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.