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	Lebanon Cleans Up Oil Spill Along Coast Oil Spill Cleanup Mudeirej Bridge Reconstruction Lebanon Education Assistance for Development (LEAD) School Improvement Program
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Lebanon

EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT

• USAID completed cleanup of the oil spill along 60 kilometers of fishing and tourist coastline in northern Lebanon.
• USAID is reconstructing the Mudeirej Bridge, facilitating transport between Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.
• Two planned wastewater treatment facilities will benefit 50,000 people in the Bekaa Valley.

USAID/LEBANON SITE
http://www.usaid.gov/lb

CONTACTS
Mission Director
Denise A. Herbol
USAID/Lebanon
U.S. Embassy
Awkwar, Lebanon
Tel: 961-4-544-251

Lebanon Desk Officer
Elaine Scott
Tel: (202) 712-0404
Email: escott@usaid.gov

Mayor Sheikh Yehya Rifaii (right) of the village Al Qarqaf in Akkar, Lebanon, explains how USAID funding under the Nahr El Bared communities program supported the community's construction of a car mechanic garage complex that will provide 25 jobs to the area. (Photo: USAID/Lebanon)

Overview

USAID works alongside the government of Lebanon to improve the lives of the Lebanese people through development projects that foster stability and democracy. Programs focus on four specific objectives: strengthening governing institutions and civil society organizations to be more responsive to Lebanese citizens; job creation and income generation; improving student achievement; and improved water management and environmental protection. USAID helps to build a better future for Lebanese citizens through cross-cutting programs focusing on youth, reconciliation throughout Lebanese society, and opportunities for women through targeted microfinance and education programs. USAID's program in Lebanon was valued at $44.6 million in fiscal year 2008 and $67.5 million in fiscal year 2009.

Programs

Governing Justly and Democratically
USAID focuses on modernization of local government practices, promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. USAID assists Lebanese municipalities in their efforts to better serve their citizens, encourage democratic practices, and promote respect for the rule of law. The program helps municipalities to carry out activities that increase citizen participation and support employment and private sector investments. USAID also supports the Lebanese government's efforts to ensure legitimate, transparent parliamentary elections in 2009 and municipal elections in 2010.

USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives program encourages conflict resolution through participation by youth and communities in shared decision making for consensus-based solutions. Through more than 100 initiatives around the country, the program has trained approximately 7,000 youth in civic activities, established youth-led organizations, and reached more than 1.5 million people through public awareness and mass media campaigns.

Investing In People
An effective public education system, along with job opportunities, provides an alternative to extremism. USAID rehabilitates public schools, provides science laboratory equipment, and offers extracurricular activities to students, benefiting 283 public schools throughout Lebanon. USAID provides scholarship assistance to American educational institutions in Lebanon. In 2008, this program benefited 1,743 students, 50 percent of whom are women. A professional training program supports short-term training for select professionals from the public and private sectors, covering a variety of subjects in all sectors.

USAID has established a number of wastewater and solid waste treatment plants in Lebanon. To reduce pollution of the Litani River, USAID has developed designs for several larger community-based wastewater treatment plants on the Upper Litani river basin. USAID works with the water authorities in Lebanon to develop new management and analytical tools, including business plans and financial accounting systems. USAID has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to address fire risk and management issues for Lebanon’s forests and mountains. USAID recently completed cleanup of the 2006 oil spill along 60 kilometers of fishing and tourist coastline in northern Lebanon.

Economic Growth
USAID promotes job creation in agribusiness, information and communications technology, and rural tourism through a program that creates linkages among businesses across the value chain. Microfinance institutions provide loans to individuals and cooperatives, assisting them to establish and/or maintain existing small businesses. USAID provides assistance to 21 Lebanese communities surrounding the Nahr El Bared Palestinian camp, helping to revive economic livelihoods following the fighting in 2007 that destroyed this area. USAID is also providing assistance to support Lebanon’s privatization of the telecommunications sector. Programs assist landmine and war survivors to lead productive lives through a unique cooperative effort in southern Lebanon, providing jobs in agro-business to increase monthly incomes.

Humanitarian Assistance
USAID is also reconstructing the Mudeirej Bridge, one of the largest in the region. The bridge is a vital link for transport between Beirut and the Bekaa Valley and should be completed by January 2010.

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