The soldiers are doing extra work in Lebanon, which is at an economic bottleneck.

In Lebanon, which is in economic crisis, members of the military, whose salaries have fallen by more than 90 percent in the last 3 years and whose monthly service periods have shortened, are trying to eke out a living working second jobs. . .

The army is one of the security institutions that has been affected by the deepening economic crisis in Lebanon since 2019.

Due to the 99 percent depreciation of the local currency, the lira against the dollar, the salaries of military personnel, like other public employees, continue to melt.

Unlike many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, military service is not compulsory in Lebanon. All the soldiers in the army are professionals who receive a monthly salary.

According to open sources, there are about 80,000 active personnel in the Lebanese army, including 4,000 women. However, many soldiers, the number of which is still unclear, are said to have left their posts after their salaries fell sharply.

The soldiers, who served in different parts of downtown Beirut but did not want their names revealed, said they were on duty only 2-3 days a week after the crisis, while working full-time 5 days a week. week. before.

Stating that the salary of soldiers without rank or lower rank was around 900-1000 dollars before the crisis, the soldiers claimed that they received a salary of 50-60 dollars last month.
The Lebanese soldiers, who stated that they could not live on the salary that the State gave them, said that after the flexibility of the working day, their colleagues began to deal with agriculture, especially participating in projects such as greenhouses, and in this way they sought additional income.

THE FUTURE CONTINUES UNCERTAINTY

Retirees, as well as those on active duty in the armed forces, face serious difficulties due to “low pay.”

A member of the Coordinating Council of Public Pensioners, retired Major General Ulama Zager is one of the retired soldiers who dedicated almost his entire life to military service.

Zager stated that after the significant depreciation of the Lebanese lira against the dollar, especially in the last period, there was a “60 percent decrease” in wages in 90 days, “it is not clear what will happen in the future and where it will go.” will direct our situation.” lead.”

“MY SALARY DECREASED FROM $4,000 TO $100”

Stating that his salary is not enough to even cover his electricity bill, Zager said: “I served in the Lebanese army for 40 years. I retired with the rank of major general and before the crisis my salary was around $4,000. It is currently under $100. After 40 years of work, I receive money from my children to live. On the contrary, I had to give money to my children and support them”.

Noting that low pay is not the only problem, Zager said: “A lot of retired people who received compensation put their money in the bank. They can’t withdraw that money right now,” he said.

Retired brigade commander Marun Hrayş, president of the Pensioners’ National Front Association, reported that approximately 70,000 people in the country receive salaries of retired military personnel.

According to retired Brigadier General Naci Melaib, a researcher at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), the Lebanese army was managing the situation with between $90 million and $110 million worth of equipment and arsenals. delivered annually by the United States through 2019.

However, after 2019, when the economic crisis began to be felt, the situation completely changed, and the budget allocated by the state for the army in 2018 and which is still shown today in the same amount has no equivalent, Melaib said, “The budget assigned by the State to the army barely covers 1 percent of the expenses. There are items of important expenses such as staff salaries, equipment, spare parts-maintenance, arsenal and fuel”.

Stating that soldiers’ tenure was reduced due to insufficient wages, Melaib said: “While soldiers worked 5 days a week and 2 days off, there is now the opposite concept of overtime. There has been a decrease in the active state of the army, but the missions imposed on the army within the country are not many,” he said.

AID GOES FROM Türkiye

Last year, Turkey sent food aid packages to all Lebanese security forces, including members of the army, at different intervals.

As of July 1, 2022, Qatar has also provided $60 million in cash, with each soldier paying $100.

On the other hand, on January 25, the US announced a new aid package of 72 million dollars to Lebanon as part of direct financial aid.

According to open sources, Washington has provided $2 billion in military aid to the Lebanese Army at different intervals since 2005.

In addition to cash aid, the US donated 150 Humvee-type armored vehicles to the Lebanese Army on August 24, 2022, as part of its support program. (AA)