Particle.news

Qatar Pledges About $430 Million to Stabilize Lebanon’s Power and Back Refugee Returns

Doha casts the pledge as targeted energy relief alongside support for voluntary refugee returns.

Overview

  • Qatar Development Fund announced roughly $434 million in assistance, including up to $400 million for Lebanon’s energy sector with a $40 million grant component benefiting about 1.5 million people.
  • An initial $20 million phase aims to support the voluntary return of about 100,000 Syrian refugees from Lebanon, with housing secured in Syria and three months of food and medical aid.
  • Officials said the refugee-return effort will be coordinated with the United Nations migration agency alongside facilitation from Syrian authorities.
  • Qatar reaffirmed continued backing for the Lebanese Armed Forces and outlined additional projects such as scholarships, youth sports initiatives, and financing to rebuild a public hospital in Beirut.
  • The package was unveiled in Beirut by Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi after meetings with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun, with timelines and implementation details yet to be specified amid Lebanon’s long-running power crisis and prior World Bank support.