Qatar announces $430 mn in support for Lebanon

In a separate statement, the Qatar Development Fund said the package was valued at about $430 million, the majority of it to support the energy sector, adding that it would benefit some 1.5 million people.

"The support includes a contribution of up to $400 million to support the energy sector," of which 10 percent would be allocated as a grant, it added

At a press conference in Beirut, Qatari state minister for foreign affairs Mohammed al-Khulaifi announced "a package of development and humanitarian projects" for Lebanon, including "a grant of $40 million to support the electricity sector".

Lebanon's electricity sector has cost Lebanon more than $40 billion since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, and successive governments have failed to reduce losses or repair crumbling infrastructure.

Last year, Lebanon signed a $250 million deal with the World Bank to modernise the sector.

Khulaifi also announced "the launch of a project supporting the voluntary and safe return of Syrians from Lebanon to Syria" in cooperation with the United Nations migration agency.

The first phase of the project is worth $20 million and "targets some 100,000 people", he told a joint press conference with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.

The assistance will help secure housing in Syria ahead of the returnees' departure "in addition to providing food and medicine for three months" after they arrive, as part of supporting their reintegration, he said.

According to the UN refugee agency, more than 500,000 Syrians returned home from Lebanon last year. However, another 115,000 have fled to Lebanon since the December 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Around one million Syrian refugees remain in Lebanon, according to UNHCR.

Lebanon has been urging the international community to help refugees return, particularly since an economic collapse began in late 2019 and amid international aid cuts.

Lebanese officials have more recently raised the issue with the new authorities in Damascus.

Qatar has been a supporter of Lebanon for years, in particular providing assistance for the country's army, including for soldiers' salaries.

Doha is also a key supporter of Syria's new authorities, and Qatari companies have signed major contracts in Syria including on energy, electricity and transport.