Sydney - Middle East Times Int’l: Lebanon’s Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector al-Hajjar held a press conference in his office at the ministry against the background of the decision to dollarize aid for the displaced Syrians. 

He started with a historical account of the issue.

“The response plan that was established in 2015 is an umbrella for the United Nations and local non-government organisations.

“Work across different sectors related to humanitarian interventions for the poorest Lebanese families and displaced Syrians, led by the Ministry of Social Affairs in co-operation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Development Program, meaning that organizing the work of the displaced and the response plan is led by the ministry along with educational and health support and vouchers 

“The food that displaced Syrians get in Lebanon and other aid amounts to 230,000 Syrian families receiving aid in Lebanese pounds. 

“The value of this aid is monthly. It is basic, two and a half million for the family; each person has 1.1 million pounds for up to five people.

“With the worsening economic crisis and with my handover to the ministry in September 2021, we started holding monthly meetings that include UNHCR, UNDP and WST. I usually receive written requests from the UNHCR to adjust amounts for the family and individual according to the exchange rate on the black market, with the aim that the monthly aid maintains the minimum purchasing power to obtain food.

“With the big jump in the dollar in March 2023, we received a request to raise the value of the aid in dollars on the basis that there is difficulty in securing large amounts of cash in Lebanese pounds from automatic teller machines.

“Several meetings took place. There was a fundamental disagreement during the meetings.”

“We refused because we demanded at all international forums and meetings to pay this aid in Syria so that the displaced will be eager to return to their country because the numbers have greatly increased. We refused because the dollarisation of financial aid to the displaced will increase tension between them and Lebanese.

He explained: “After several meetings, communication between us and the Commission was interrupted until I was surprised on Wednesday, as I lay on a hospital bed, that there was abnormal movement in the Bekaa in front of ATMs and that a message was sent to the Syrian beneficiaries and the banks saying that, starting from May 24, those displaced who hold a red card will be able to withdraw in US dollars; each family was to receive $25 with $20 for an individual, up to five people, or about $125 for each family.

“We did not miss an opportunity for dialogue and we have not received any official document in this regard. A media campaign has begun against us. We did not know what happened since the dialogue stopped. We hold ourselves responsible for this great crime against Lebanon.”

He added: “We also heard in the media a statement issued by the media office of Prime Minister Najib Mikati that said this aid was being transferred in dollars.”

He said that after intensive consultations with all concerned and ministers in the Lebanese government and the Central Bank, in recent months they approved cash assistance for the displaced in double currencies. 

Minister Hajjar indicated that “the visa was paid in dollars and the remaining fractions are paid in Lebanese pounds”.

He added: “We are faced with basic questions. How was this decision taken when the Ministry of Affairs, who is responsible for this case, did not agree with that? Who agreed from the official authorities, who signed, where is the official document and on what basis was the implementation carried out?

“We met with Imran Reda, who said that a signature was not needed; a verbal agreement with all concerned was sufficient. We have no desire to create a problem with anyone, I have no desire to create a problem with the prime minister. I disagree with the government in politics, it is true, but I put sovereign and national matters ahead. This does not express weakness or that we will give up our sovereignty.”

Al-Hajjar demanded a “retraction from dollarisation”. He said: “We are ready to co-operate. We can be described as weak but it is surprising that one of the televisions was pressured to prevent a report on the subject from being shown and that pressure was applied within 24 hours to cancel this press conference, and it was done.” 

“Our goal is for the public opinion and the media to hear that we have been negotiating for three months and that we are making a new initiative. We want dialogue. It is in Lebanon’s supreme interest that (it) not to be dollarized.”