US to give Lebanon $80.5 million in aid amid economic crisis - ABC News

MAJDAL ANJAR, Lebanon -- The United States announced Wednesday that it volition springiness $80.5 cardinal successful assistance for food assistance and solar-powered h2o pumping stations successful the crisis-battered state of Lebanon.

The announcement was made by USAID main Samantha Power during a sojourn to Lebanon up of a travel to Egypt for the COP27 U.N. clime conference.

During the visit, Power is acceptable to conscionable with Lebanese governmental leaders to propulsion for a solution to the country’s governmental vacuum and for leaders to transportation retired a slate of governmental and economical reforms required by the International Monetary Fund to clinch a $3 cardinal assistance package.

The sojourn comes arsenic Lebanon is successful the grip of its worst economical and fiscal situation successful its modern history. On Oct. 31, the six-year word of President Michel Aoun ended with nary replacement elected.

Power declined to say, however, whether immoderate U.S. assistance would beryllium contingent connected Lebanon taking these measures.

“We are not focused connected what happens if those reforms don’t happen. The reforms person to happen,” she told The Associated Press.

The imaginable of an IMF woody “should beryllium capable to extremity the infighting and bickering and bash what is needed for the involvement of the country,” Power said.

USAID has provided astir $260 cardinal to Lebanon successful 2022 to date. On Wednesday, Power announced an further $72 cardinal for nutrient assistance to immoderate 650,000 radical implicit 5 months arsenic portion of a $2 cardinal planetary nutrient information initiative.

Lebanon, which relies heavy connected imported nutrient and has historically imported the bulk of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, has faced accrued nutrient information anxieties successful the aftermath of the Russian warfare successful Ukraine.

Power besides announced $8.5 cardinal to money 22 caller solar-powered pumping stations. Lebanon has been dealing with a crippling energy situation that has besides led to h2o shortages owed to deficiency of powerfulness astatine pumping stations.

The shortages successful nationalist h2o proviso are fueling a cholera outbreak, the archetypal Lebanon has seen successful 3 decades. Most Lebanese present trust connected h2o trucked successful by backstage suppliers, which is often not tested for safety.