Question Taken at the June 4 Daily Press Briefing - Lebanon: Supplemental Aid

Answer: Congress appropriated $769.5 million in assistance to Lebanon in the FY07 Emergency Supplemental. In the last few years, U.S. Government assistance for Lebanon has averaged below $50 million annually. This large increase in U.S. assistance for Lebanon reflects the support of the United States Government - its Administration and Congress - for the people of Lebanon.

This new funding includes $295 million in Economic Support Funds and $5 million under the Democracy Fund, which will include $250 million in U.S. assistance for Lebanon to assist it in debt relief as the Lebanese Government meets milestones in its economic reform plan, and almost $50 million for programs that will strengthen legislative and judicial processes and municipal government operations, to encourage electoral reform, to support civil society participation and human rights promotion, and to improve primary and secondary schools.

It also includes $220 million in Foreign Military Financing for the Lebanese Armed Forces, $60 million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement for the Internal Security Forces, $5.5 million in Non proliferation, Anti-terrorism, De-mining and Related Programs to support anti-terrorism activities, and $184 million in Contributions to International Peacekeeping to support United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

The Department is taking the steps necessary to begin to program these funds.

In addition to this, the Administration notified Congress of its intent to program $30.6 million for support to the Lebanese Armed Forces utilizing the authority provided by Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007. Absent Congressional action, the Administration will begin to program those funds when the Congressional notification period expires June 8, 2007.

In light of events in Tripoli and urgent requests from the Government of Lebanon, we are expediting deliveries of planned U.S. military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, as well as enlisting the support of international partners to provide additional assistance. We are currently expediting procurement and delivery of equipment purchased with Lebanese national funds, rather than U.S. security assistance monies. Most of the deliveries to support the Lebanese Armed Forces over the last several weeks were funded in this way.

The United States is closely monitoring the humanitarian conditions of Palestinian refugees in northern Lebanon and working with implementing partners to assess needs and determine whether to re-program resources to address unfolding emergency needs.

Today we announced the intent of the United States to contribute $3.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) 2007 Flash Appeal for Palestinian refugees in North Lebanon. This contribution will be used to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who were displaced by the actions of the terrorist group, Fatah al-Islam, in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp.

The United States is UNRWA's largest bilateral donor. In February 2007, the United States made an initial contribution of $50 million to UNRWA's 2007 General Fund to support education, health, and social programs in UNRWA's five fields of operation (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip); additional contributions will soon be made, including a $1.65 million earmark to UNRWA's Lebanon Camp Rehabilitation Initiative. In 2006, the United States contributed $84.15 million to UNRWA's General Fund and another $52.85 million to its emergency appeals in Lebanon, West Bank, and Gaza.