US talking to Egypt, Jordan to help Lebanon’s fuel, energy needs: Senior US diplomat

Hezbollah's Nasrallah can "try as much as he wants to pin it all on the United States, and he can call me names. Seriously, is that the best he can do?" US Ambassador to Lebanon tells Al Arabiya English.

Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English

Published: 19 August ,2021: 05:37 PM GST

The US is in talks with the World Bank and the governments of Egypt and Jordan to help find solutions to Lebanon's fuel and energy needs, Washington's ambassador to Beirut said Thursday.

"I'm trying to find solutions for the Lebanese people. We've been talking to the governments of Egypt, Jordan, the government here [Lebanon], the World Bank. We're trying to get real, sustainable solutions for Lebanon's fuel and energy needs," Dorothy Shea told Al Arabiya English during an interview from the US Embassy in Beirut.

Shea's comments came shortly after Hezbollah's secretary-general accused the US of being behind Lebanon's economic and fuel crises.

"The United States is as frustrated as the Lebanese are with the situation, and I've been working on this for several weeks now. So, to be accused of being the sole source of this problem … ad hominem personal attacks are the weakest form of argument," the senior US diplomat said.

"And if that's all he can muster to explain the misery that the Lebanese people are living in, then shame on him," she added.

Pushing back against Hassan Nasrallah's comments, Shea rejected claims that Washington was responsible for the economic collapse. "He [Nasrallah] can try as much as he wants to pin it all on the United States, and he can call me names. Seriously, is that the best he can do?"

Asked what the US response would be to Nasrallah's earlier speech where he said Iranian fuel would be on its way to Lebanon in the coming hours, Shea said Lebanon didn't need any Iranian tankers. She cited "a whole bunch" of tankers off the country's coast waiting to offload their cargo.

The Lebanese government cannot pay due to the current economic crisis and shortage of the US dollar.

Shea said she was working the phones with Lebanese officials to help find a solution. But ultimately, she said, "Lebanon can do whatever it wants."

"I don't think anyone is going to fall on their sword if someone's able to get fuel into hospitals that need it. But I think the Lebanese people deserve importers of fuel to distribute it equitably. And I ask you, can you count on Hezbollah to do that?"

Al Arabiya English reported last month that the US was being urged by the World Bank, Egypt and Jordan to find a way to avoid sanctions under the Caesar Act.

Shea also said she was in touch with the Treasury Department and the White House. Admitting that the procedure to import via Syria was a tricky matter due to sanctions, she said: "There is a will to make this happen. There will be some logistical things that need to happen too, but I think that it will all fall into place fairly easily."

The Lebanese presidency announced Thursday afternoon that Shea called President Michel Aoun to tell him that the US was going to help with the electricity sector.

"It's cheaper, it's cleaner, and it's more sustainable," Shea told Al Arabiya English.

Statement of U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea at Baabda Palace

By U.S. Embassy Beirut | 16 August, 2021

Media Notice

For Immediate Release

As Delivered

Sabahul kheir. Good morning. First, I'd like to offer our sincere condolences over the loss of life and grievous injuries suffered in yesterday's explosion in Akkar.

Earlier today, I met with Prime Minister-Designate Mikati, and we discussed the status of Lebanese efforts to form a government quickly. And I just now concluded a meeting with His Excellency President Aoun, in which we discussed the same topic. I reiterated the absolute urgency of the situation. The Lebanese people are suffering. The economy and basic services have reached the precipice of collapse. Every day that goes by without an empowered government committed to and able to implement urgently needed reforms is a day in which the already dire situation slides further into humanitarian catastrophe.

The United States and the international community are partnering to provide direct support to the people of Lebanon, and we will continue to do so. As I stand here, I have colleagues urgently working on the aid that President Biden recently announced to help where basic, sometimes lifesaving, services have failed. This is the government's responsibility, but we know the people of Lebanon cannot wait.

In parallel, we urge those who continue to block government formation and reform to put aside partisan interests. We welcomed the EU's new sanctions framework to promote accountability and reform in Lebanon, and the United States will continue to coordinate with our partners on appropriate measures. Lebanon needs its leaders to take urgent rescue action, and that can't happen without an empowered, reform-focused government that begins to address the needs of the people and begins the hard work of economic recovery. It's not going to happen without leadership, but it can happen.

UNITED STATES PROVIDES NEARLY $100 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR LEBANON

For Immediate Release

Thursday, August 5, 2021

Office of Press Relations

press@usaid.gov

Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced nearly $100 million in new humanitarian assistance for Lebanon. This assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State will help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its compounding socioeconomic impacts on the Lebanese people. The funding will also support Syrian refugees sheltering in Lebanon.

With the $41 million of USAID funding, the United States will provide urgently needed food assistance, health care, protection, and water and sanitation support to communities, including those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, this also includes food assistance to help 400,000 vulnerable Lebanese beneficiaries. Along with funding provided by the U.S. Department of State, this support brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance in Lebanon to more than $372 million in Fiscal Year 2021; in response to COVID-19, the humanitarian impacts of the August 2020 explosions at the Port of Beirut, and the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.

The United States is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Lebanon. With so many compounding emergencies in the country and region, including a growing economic crisis, the United States is deeply concerned about the continuing increase in humanitarian needs, and urges other donors to step up to provide much needed support to save lives.

For the latest updates on U.S. humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, visit Lebanon | Humanitarian Assistance | US Agency for International Development.