(WASHINGTON, DC) — The United States Department of State announced on Monday that Lebanon will receive $75.5 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to fund Syrian refugee programs and makeshift camps in the country.
The U.S. acknowledged that Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita with over one million Syrian refugees, and 45,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria.
According to the report, the additional U.S. support will also fund “vulnerable Lebanese communities” by renovating the municipal water and sanitation systems, and supporting local schools.
“With the additional funding, the UN and international organization partners in Lebanon can continue to deliver shelter assistance, education, healthcare, cash assistance for emergency needs, and basic relief items like blankets, heaters, and hygiene kits,” the report said.
A portion of funding will also be distributed to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East program, the report added.
Lebanon has received $965 million in U.S. humanitarian aid since 2012, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
The White House announced on Monday that the United States is providing nearly $419 million in additional life-saving assistance for those affected by the war in Syria.
This new funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance in response to this conflict to more than $1.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2015 and over $4.5 billion since the start of the crisis.
“The United States remains committed to assisting those affected by this terrible war and strongly urges all governments, organizations, and individuals concerned about the situation to support life-saving aid efforts of UN and other partners,” the report said.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Lebanon to receive $75.5M in US aid to Syrian refugees 1683
(DETROIT) — Lebanese Forces MP Shant Chinchinian on Saturday called for immediate presidential elections in Lebanon during keynote remarks at the Lebanese Forces Michigan Chapter twentieth annual banquet in Detroit.
Chinchinian, who is visiting the United States for his second time, said the political situation in Lebanon would improve if a president is elected. He believes protest groups in Beirut should set fixed demands that urge leaders to stop boycotting presidential sessions.
“Our candidate is still Dr. Samir Geagea,” Chinchinian told Lebanese Examiner during an exclusive interview. “But we are open to discussion later on; we are not set on (Geagea) as an obstacle that makes him president, or nobody else.”
The Lebanese Forces banquet drew about 250 people, mostly supporters of the March 14 Alliance, which is largely comprised of leaders from the Future Movement, Lebanese Forces, and Kataeb Party.
Christian Nasr, secretary general of the Lebanese Forces in North America, also traveled to Detroit for the banquet, which was held at the hall of Life Application Ministries Church – the former location of St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church.
Chinchinian appeared on Sunday in Sterling Heights at Bemis Junior High School, the temporary location of St. Sharbel Church, for a mass to “honor and remember Lebanese Forces martyrs.”
Chinchinian, who is from Zahle, is a graduate of the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, where he studied international policy and security, according to his CV.
Zahle is home to one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees in the world — an issue that Chinchinian said requires international intervention.
“For a small country like Lebanon, it was very difficult to receive this number of refugees,” he said. “(The Lebanese Forces) demanded that refugee camps should be set up within Syria.”
Chinchinian said during the Lebanese Civil War, only a small percentage of Lebanese citizens became refugees. He believes “internal displacement” is a better solution.
“I think the best solution for everybody is to prepare safe zones within Syria, non-military zones, that could house the refugees,” he added.
These concerns add a “burden” on the Lebanese economy and make electricity, water, and waste removal even more difficult, he believes. The matter of garbage has prompted historic protests in Beirut over corruption and political dysfunction.
Secular protest groups have prompted international attention and increased public anger over the garbage crisis — concerns that Chinchinian said are “rightful.”
“The protests started with rightful demands,” Chinchinian said. “Almost all the Lebanese agree with these demands — from electricity, to water, and mainly the garbage situation that is unbearable.”
However, he added that protesters should remain peaceful and defy violence committed by hostile crowds. Protesters argue that police brutality, not the protest groups, has naturally led to escalated violence.
“It’s easy to regret something and to put the blame on somebody else,” he said. “It’s in the duty of the groups that are demonstrating to control the demonstration and to have clear and limited goals.”
Chinchinian added that he met with the environmental parliamentary committee in Lebanon prior to his trip to Detroit. He believes the plan proposed under the direction of Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb is viable.
The plan – announced after six hours of deliberation between the Lebanese cabinet – aims to decentralize waste management by giving municipalities the responsibility.
“This is the only plan; there are no other solutions,” he said. “I think the municipalities will accept it in the end.”
Lebanese Forces President John Moussawer (left) and Lebanese Forces Secretary General Christian (far right) Nasr present MP Shant Chinchinian (center) with an award from the Lebanese Forces Michigan Chapter on Sept. 19, 2015. (Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner)Lebanese MP Shant Chinchinian speaks to Lebanese Forces supporters at the political group’s Michigan chapter twentieth annual banquet on Sept. 19, 2015. (Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner)MP Shant Chinchinian attends a mass to “honor Lebanese Forces martyrs” at Bemis Junior High School in Sterling Heights, Mich. – the temporary location of St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church on September 20, 2015. (Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner)Subdeacon Mike Magyar speaks on the “legacy of Bachir Gemayel” during a mass at Bemis Junior High School in Sterling Heights, Mich. – the temporary location of St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church. (Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner)Lebanese Forces Michigan Chapter President John Moussawer (center) and Lebanese Forces Secretary General in North American Christian Nasr (right) attend a mass at Bemis Junior High School in Sterling Heights, Mich. – the temporary location of St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church on September 20, 2015. (Charlie Kadado/Lebanese Examiner)
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(BEIRUT) — In an interview with The Washington Post, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Lebanon is heading toward a breakdown because opposing political factions could not cooperate to resolve even the most basic issues.
Salam said he was a “neutral” politician and expressed disappointment with “regional powers” and their influence on the Lebanese government.
“We are heading toward a breakdown,” he said. “The Lebanese political factions are incapable of electing a president by themselves.”
Salam added that a president will only be elected if a deal is accepted by the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. He believes the U.S. and Russia will first have to broker a deal in regard to the Syrian war, because the stalemate in Lebanon requires “much less effort.”
“(Solving Lebanon’s stalemate) only requires the international big powers and the regional ones to get together and say, “Yes, we will support this guy as a president,” and things will start moving,” Salam said.
Historic protests over corruption and political dysfunction have been taking place in Lebanon for weeks now, prompting international attention and increased public anger over the garbage crisis. Salam said he “can’t blame” the protesters for taking to the streets.
“I wish all the country would go there and be secular in its politics,” he said. “I personally am in support of that.”
Salam also added the Syrian refugee crisis was placing a burden on Lebanon’s economy, and that the country didn’t have enough financial resources to handle them.
“The 1.5 million refugees are a burden because they share our electricity, our water, our schools, our roads, our commerce, our jobs — and yes, the Lebanese are tired of this” he said. “They have been very hospitable.”
Examiner StaffComments Off on Salam: Lebanon is heading toward a breakdown 1755
(HAGUE) — The UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri found Lebanese journalist Karma Khayat, deputy head of news and political programs at Al-Jadeed TV, guilty of contempt of court.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon acquitted Khayat on a more serious charge of interfering with the course of justice by publishing witness material linked to the case. STL had ordered Khayat to remove videos from Al-Jadeed’s website and YouTube channel.
Khayat, who accuses the court of obstructing freedom of the press, will be sentenced on Sept. 28 for ignoring the court order. She could face a fine of 100,000 euros and seven years in prison.
Al-Jadeed was acquitted of corporate liability on both counts. The TV stations used blurred faces and disguised voices in the 2012 broadcasts.
“Al-Jadeed used professional standards,” Khayat said. “If the tribunal’s aim or goal was to put a stop to Al-Jadeed’s investigative reporting on the tribunal, I can assure (you) that we will not stop.”
Prosecutors said the reports undermined the tribunal by exposing witnesses to possible retaliation and discouraging them from offering evidence to the court.
Judge Nicola Lettieri said that there was no evidence that identifying the witnesses had undermined public confidence in the tribunal, but said Khayat should have taken the material down when ordered to do so.
“The individuals who testified stated that they had been afraid … after the airing of the episodes,” he said.
Defense attorney Karim Khan said Khayat would appeal against her conviction.
Examiner StaffComments Off on STL finds Lebanese journalist guilty of contempt of court 1673
(BEIRUT) — A dense and deadly sandstorm sweeping through the Middle East has engulfed Lebanon this week, prompting government closures and increased staffing at local hospitals after at least 750 sandstorm-related admissions were reported.
At least five people are reported dead since the storm started early Tuesday, according to media reports, which cite “suffocation” as the major cause.
Public Health Minister Wael Abu Faour instructed all hospitals to receive patients suffering from suffocation at the ministry’s expense, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
Mounin Hamzeh, secretary general of Lebanon’s governmental National Council for Scientific Research, said his office is closely tracking the storm.
“(Satellite pictures) clearly show that the sandstorm came from northern Iraq in the direction of central and northern Lebanon, north and east Syria, and southern Turkey,” Hamzeh said.
The unseasonable and unprecedented storm reduced visibility on local roads and caused several accidents, according to Lebanon’s Traffic Management Center.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced the closure of municipalities and government buildings on Wednesday due to visibility conditions. Education Minister Elias Bou Saab also ordered all schools to close on Wednesday.
“It usually happens twice or even three times a year in Lebanon but during spring, March and April, and the unusual thing today is the density of the storm,” Hamzeh said, according to an AFP report.
Protesters from the group You Stink were scheduled to rally in downtown Beirut on Wednesday, but organizers said the bad weather could prevent some people from taking to the streets.
“This movement doesn’t depend on the weather…or one day,” said Lucien Bourjeili, a organizer from You Stink, in comments published by the Associated Press.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Hundreds hospitalized as sandstorm engulfs Lebanon 1518
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A group of 37 Lebanese couples tied the knot on Sept. 6 in a mass wedding blessed by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai at the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerke.
Rai stressed the importance of a marriage “commitment,” adding that the 37 married couples should adopt a “church setting” in their new family home.
The mass wedding was organized by the Maronite League, a non-profit organization that serves Maronite Lebanese interests, according to their website.
According to Lebanon’s French language daily newspaper, L’Orient-Le Jour, the Maronite League covered the wedding expenses and offered each couple a $2,000 gift to begin their married life.
VIEW photos of the ceremony below:
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi poses with couples who took part in a mass wedding at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke on September 6, 2015.
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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A short online documentary published on Sept. 2 takes us through the historic ‘You Stink’ protests which have caught global media attention for weeks now.
Thousands of Lebanese protesters have gathered in downtown Beirut over recent weeks for the largest anti-government demonstrations in the country’s history.
Many protesters are calling for a revolution to end political corruption which has literally left Lebanon drowned in trash.
The activist group ‘You Stink’ started the movement earlier last month in response to the trash crisis, which began when residents south of Beirut barricaded a landfill to complain of toxic fumes.
The documentary was directed and shot by Jackson Allers, and edited by Inaam Attar for Audio Kultur — a self-described platform for music, art, and culture.
WATCH: You Stink Protest – Beirut, Lebanon:
Examiner StaffComments Off on WATCH: The sights and sounds of a Lebanese revolution! 5601
(WASHINGTON, DC) — U.S. President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud released a joint statement expressing “strong support” for Lebanon following a meeting on Sept. 4 at the White House.
President Obama invited the Saudi king to the U.S. to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and its wider effect on the Middle East.
“I’m happy to come to a friendly country to meet a friend,” Salman said. “We want to work together for world peace.”
The statement said the two leaders supported Lebanon’s “sovereignty, security and stability,” adding that military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces would help “resist extremist threats.”
The two leaders also called on Lebanon’s parliament to elect a new president — a role they believe is of “critical importance.”
The meeting comes five months after the first shipment of Saudi-funded French arms arrived in Lebanon. Many Lebanese view the deal as part of a competition for foreign influence, which they say could spark sectarian conflict.
The $3 billion plan paid for by Saudi Arabia aimed to help bolster the Lebanese army over the next four years with new transport vehicles, tanks, warships, and communication equipment.
In June, the U.S. State Department announced its approval of a possible sale of six A-29 Super Tucano aircrafts to Lebanon, at an estimated cost of $462 million.
According to Riad Kahwaji, CEO of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, Lebanon would pay for the aircrafts using a $1-billion Saudi grant.
The DC-visit is the king’s first to the United States since ascending to the throne in January 2015, and comes after the United States agreed to a nuclear deal with Iran in July.
“The relationship has grown deeper and stronger over the past seven decades in the political, economic, military, security, cultural and other spheres of mutual interest,” said a statement by the White House press office.
Speaking after the meeting between Obama and Salman, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Obama had assured the Saudi king that the agreement prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, includes inspections of military and suspected sites, and has a provision for the snapback of sanctions if Iran violates the agreement.
Under those conditions, al-Jubeir said, Saudi Arabia supported the deal.
“Now we have one less problem for the time being to deal with, with regards to Iran,” al-Jubeir said. “We can now focus more intensely on the nefarious activities that Iran is engaged in the region.”
Examiner StaffComments Off on Obama, Saudi king stress “strong support” for Lebanon during meeting 1531
(DOHA, QATAR) — Qatar-based Silatech and Ibdaa Lebanon have announced the launch of two new loan products specially developed to help young entrepreneurs start and expand businesses in Lebanon.
Expected to create over 2,000 additional employment opportunities for Lebanese youth over a three-year period, both loans will be phased in gradually at six
Ibdaa branches.
While Silatech is a regional social initiative that works to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for young Arabs, Ibdaa is a leading Lebanese microfinance institution.
Through the Mashroui (My Project) loan product, Silatech and Ibdaa will provide an early-phase loan to help young entrepreneurs finance their startup businesses. The Shabab (Youth) micro loan product is designed to help finance the expansion of already-existing businesses.
Both products target 18-35-year-old Lebanese entrepreneurs who have businesses in operation for less than six months.
The launch of Mashroui and Shabab follows the signing of an April agreement between Silatech and Ibdaa Lebanon to jointly finance a Youth Loan Fund and collaborate on financial and non-financial products and services for Lebanese youth.
In addition to providing loan capital through Shabab and Mashroui, Silatech and Ibdaa are delivering enterprise training and financial literacy education to help young entrepreneurs sustain and grow their businesses.
Earlier in 2015, Silatech conducted a two-day “training of trainers” workshop for Ibdaa Lebanon credit officers, outlining effective communication and marketing techniques for Ibdaa to attract younger clients, as well as relevant criteria to consider when assessing risk among prospective youth clients.
Access to finance is a major stumbling block for young, would-be entrepreneurs in the Arab world. According to the World Bank, young people in the Middle East and North Africa region have the world’s lowest levels of financial access.
The region also has the world’s highest rate of youth unemployment, topping 30% in 2015.
While lower than the regional average, Lebanon’s youth unemployment rate of 21% is still markedly higher than the global average of 13%.
Silatech acting CEO Mohamed al-Naimi said, “Specially-designed loan products such as Mashroui and Shabab provide much-needed access to new financing and business support services for young entrepreneurs who are important job creators of the future, while also opening profitable new markets for financial institutions.”
“The Youth Loan Fund will aim at answering the needs of both existing business owners through the Shabab loan and startups through the Mashroui loan,” said Bachar Kouwatly, CEO of Ibdaa Lebanon, adding that the partnership with Silatech is part of a global youth-focused co-operation between Silatech and the Arab Gulf Fund for Development’s affiliates in the region.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Qatari initiatives launch loans to support young Lebanese entrepreneurs 6526
(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Thousands of Free Patriotic Movement supporters staged a protest in downtown Beirut on Friday, to support Lebanese Christian leader Michel Aoun’s call for a presidential election by popular vote.
Aoun, who urged a heavy turnout at the protest, called for an end to presidential elections by parliamentary vote. He also invited FPM supporters to take to the streets “to call for fighting corruption.”
The sea of protesters waved FPM flags and held signs reading “At your service, General” and “We want new elections,” among others.
Lebanon has been without a president for more than a year because of a lack of quorum at parliamentary sessions. The 29th session will be held on September 30, but political analysts say the election of a consensus candidate is unlikely.
Aoun, a former army commander and presidential contender, is also protesting what he believes has been Christian “marginalization.” FPM supporters accuse Prime Minister Tammam Salam of usurping powers reserved for the president.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who recently won the FPM’s presidency uncontested, spoke at the rally and echoed Aoun’s remarks.
“They thought that they could force us out of political life and squares, but we returned to this square and we will return it to all Lebanese,” Bassil said, referring to Beirut’s Martrys Square, where the protest took place.
“They want to deprive us of the dream and our dream is to have a state, not a farm.”
Bassil told a cheering crowd of supporters that citizens should rally for a president and parliament that represents all religions and regions.
“We want a ‘clean’ president who does not cover up for corruption,” Bassil said. “We the Lebanese should elect our president, not foreign forces. We won’t accept a ‘wooden president’ who does not understand people’s golden equation.”
Friday’s protest come amid a wave of anti-government rallies in Beirut, sparked by the current government’s inability to solve the trash crisis. The protesters are led by civil society groups who are seeking to unseat a political system dominated by the same political parties since the civil war.
Lucien Bourjeily, one of the founders of the ‘You Stink’ movement, which has led the recent protests, said it was “absurd” that Aoun was protesting against the government which he is part of.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Aoun supporters stage huge protest calling for new electoral law 1681
