Paris set to host international meeting to discuss aid for Lebanon

Paris set to host international meeting to discuss aid for Lebanon
December 11, 2019, 10:10 am

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri poses with members of the International Support Group for Lebanon in 2017. (AFP)

Representatives from a variety of countries are expected to meet on Wednesday in Paris for the International Support Group for Lebanon, co-chaired by France and the United Nations.

The meeting is taking place as Lebanon remains in political and economic deadlock. According to a Lebanese official cited by Reuters, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were expected to be invited.

On Friday, caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who has yet to be replaced despite resigning in late October, issued an appeal for aid to secure food and raw materials for Lebanon.

In response to a shortage of dollars in circulation, banks have imposed withdrawal limits and reduced credit lines, limiting the amount of hard currency which is necessary for imports. As a result, Lebanon is struggling to import medical supplies, with shortages of food and other essentials on the horizon.

Lebanon won pledges of over $11 billion from the international community last year, conditional on reforms. However, it failed to implement them, adding to the country's economic woes.

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