International Donors Pledge Emergency Aid for Lebanon’s Struggling Army   

PARIS - International donors pledged tens of millions of dollars' worth of emergency aid Thursday to help prop up Lebanon’s struggling army, a key institution for the country’s stability that is lacking basics, including food. From Paris, Lisa Bryant has more for VOA on the meeting, hosted by France and Italy.]] 

Donations were made during a virtual meeting that France and Italy hosted. A French government statement, issued after the talks, said the support for Lebanon’s army would be  aimed at meeting human and basic maintenance needs and was no substitute for essential reforms the country needs. An army spokeswoman told VOA the aid would go toward such things as food, fuel and medical supplies and would be released within weeks or months. Since 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar. Added to that, the government plans to cut subsidies on key goods like fuel and food.