Qatar inaugurates “airlift” to Lebanon

Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Loulwah el-Khater, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to inaugurate “an airlift of Qatari aid” to Lebanon, according to the national news agency ( ANI). As part of the airlift, two Qatari military planes carrying aid and medical supplies have arrived, with more shipments expected in the coming days.

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The visit comes at a critical time, as Lebanon faces a year of war of attrition between Hezbollah and Israel. The Shiite party opened a “front of support” for its Palestinian ally, Hamas, in Lebanon, in the wake of the war in Gaza. While the clashes had until then been mainly limited to the south, on September 23, Israel launched a large-scale operation on Lebanese territory, targeting almost daily the south of the country, the Bekaa, the southern suburbs of Beirut. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon after a year of hostilities and nearly 9,800 others have been injured.

From the airport, outgoing Health Minister Firas Abiad said the plane was the first in a series that will “address shortages of medical equipment and food products.” For his part, the outgoing Minister of the Environment, Nasser Yassine, who chairs the ministerial emergency committee, declared that the aid would be distributed “in all regions in a few days”.

The Qatari minister further met with outgoing Prime Minister Nagib Mikati at the Grand Serail in Beirut to discuss ongoing aid efforts. At the end of the meeting, Ms. el-Khater underlined Qatar’s “firm and unwavering position” in favor of Lebanon’s sovereignty and security. She condemned the recent escalation of violence by Israeli forces and stressed the need for an “immediate ceasefire,” noting that “if the international community had taken a firm stance against what was happening in Gaza, we would not have seen the conflict spread to the West Bank and now to Lebanon.” She also announced the launch of an “air bridge between Doha and Beirut”.

For his part, Nagib Mikati expressed gratitude for Qatar’s continued support, praising the country for supporting Lebanon during these difficult times. Finally, Ms. el-Khater affirmed Qatar’s support for “the Lebanese government, the people and the national institutions, led by the Ministry of Health, which plays a heroic role, as well as the health personnel”, adding that “Qatar continues to support the Lebanese armed forces”.

Qatar is one of the main donors to the Lebanese army. During 2023, it provided cash aid, distributed in the form of monthly payments of one hundred dollars to Lebanese soldiers, for a total amount of 60 million dollars. Doha also provided fuel to the troops for several months, during the second part of 2023, as well as tens of tons of food products. Furthermore, after the 2006 war, the government was able to count on the support of European, and especially Arab, donors, notably Qatar.

Also on Tuesday, a French aid plane landed with medical equipment on board. Earlier, UN agencies and several Arab capitals sent aid to Beirut’s international airport, which remains operational despite nearby bombing.