Tens of millions of dollars were raised by world powers as emergency aid for the Lebanese army at a virtual meeting called by France.
The aids aimed to help the army collapse as the country witnessed an unprecedented economic and political crisis.
During the meeting, Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun detailed the dire consequences of the country’s crises on military salaries.
“How can a soldier support a family with a salary that does not exceed $90?” he said in a video published on the army’s Twitter account.
“The situation is critical. If unmitigated, the economic and financial crisis will inevitably lead to the collapse of all state institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),” he said.
Aoun warned that if this financial crisis continues, many will be forced to leave the army altogether.
The virtual meeting was organised by France and attended by the United States, Russia and China, and European powers and some Gulf Arab states.
The participating donor countries stressed the importance of the army for Lebanese security.
Although not much was offered during the meeting, the majority of countries showed readiness to offer bilateral support in the future.
