Lebanese army appeals for international help in the face of economic collapse

Lebanon is sinking into a severe economic and financial crisis. The cedar country is still without a government, with the main leaders arguing over the formation of a cabinet in this confessionalist-ruled country. Street protests sparked by the economic collapse of the Lebanese pound are not the only headaches Lebanon faces. 

Discontent is also brewing among Lebanon's security forces over a currency collapse that has wiped out most of the value of their salaries. Faced with political stagnation and the biggest economic crisis in its history, the Lebanese army may be ready to step in to protect public security in the event of a total collapse. 

The dire conditions in the army prompted the commander of the armed forces, General Joseph Aoun, to call on his allies for help and warn that the situation is unsustainable. Aoun warned of a "collapse" of the military institution, stressing that any weakening of the armed forces would lead to "chaos", calling on "friendly countries" to support the army in a move that reflects the gravity of the situation in Lebanon. 

His comments came as 20 members of the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), as well as Gulf countries, the UN, the EU and other international organisations attended a virtual conference to support the army. Unlike previous conferences, which provided weapons, equipment or military training, this event aimed to provide the Lebanese army with humanitarian aid, usually reserved for countries at war. The conference, organised by France in collaboration with Italy and the UN, aimed to mobilise support through direct aid for the Lebanese army, such as food, medicine and spare parts for its military equipment, in the face of the collapse of the pound.

According to the official communiqué issued from Paris at the end of the meeting, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces indicated that this conference "aimed to develop a coordinated response to the urgent needs expressed by the Lebanese Army". Participants also underlined the continuing deterioration of the economic and social situation in Lebanon, stressing the essential role that the maintenance of security plays in preserving the country's stability. 

While the IMF awaits the formation of a new government that will allow aid to reach Lebanon, debts are strangling a country whose citizens are flooding the streets with protests and chaos day in and day out, demanding a minimum of dignified economic conditions.

The fall of the Lebanese pound continues, reaching 15,000 pounds to the dollar on the black market. This decline represents the biggest crisis the country has experienced since the civil war (1975-1990) and represents a loss of 90% of its value in a period of less than a year.

Lebanon is mired in a financial crisis caused by accumulated debt, making it difficult for the country to find foreign currency to pay for fuel and other basic imports. The World Bank (WB) also published a report on the country's economic situation in which it sharply criticised the political elite as corrupt and blamed Lebanon's agonising situation on their inability to agree on measures to alleviate the crisis.

Since the explosion in Lebanon's capital, the repercussions have been felt at every possible level. The first consequences came only a few days later with the resignation of Diab, which has left a country that is now going through its worst moments. The current impasse in the Lebanese state represents a crossroads of the highest complexity. The confrontation between the prime minister, Saad Hariri, and the president, Michel Aoun, is keeping a suffocating society on tenterhooks.

Corruption and waste scandals have pushed the situation to the limit. Not to mention the controversy surrounding the Beirut explosion, which is still being investigated eight months later, and it does not seem that the solution to the many unknowns that still exist will be resolved in the very near future. The scandal surrounding the devastating incident that took the lives of 210 people remains a major issue in the country which, it should be recalled, took the Prime Minister Diab and his entire government with it, one of the triggers of this catastrophic phase Lebanon is facing.