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reconstruction boom in lebanon...$135 million in German aid benefits range of projects
By Theodore May
Special to The Daily Star
Saturday, April 14, 2007


BEIRUT: The German government has donated $135 million to civilian reconstruction projects in Lebanon since the 2006 war with Israel, a joint Lebanese-German delegation announced during a conference on Friday. Held at the Movenpick Hotel in Beirut, the meeting was aimed at providing an overview of the distribution of German funds donated to Lebanon and was attended by German Ambassador Dr. Marius Haas and President of the Council for Reconstruction Nabil Jisr, among others.

The German projects are "not prestigious, large-scale plans for a short-term effect, but rather a great number of small, well-defined measures on the ground where they are most needed which are sustainable in the long run," said Haas.

One of the most critical projects that Germany has financed is the reconstruction of vocational and technical schools.

In 2006 Germany donated 5 million euros ($6.76 million) to rebuild and rehabilitate 33 vocational schools around the country that serve around 10,000 students.

Among these were two of the most extensively damaged schools: Sir Al-Gharbiyeh and Hermel Pilot School.

The German government has also spent 7.8 million euros establishing vocational training programs throughout Lebanon.

One controversial project being pursued by Germany is a project to secure the borders in Lebanon - something that has earned heavy criticism from Damascus and threats of closing the Lebanon-Syria border.

According to project director General Detlef Karioth of the Police and Customs Mission, the key is to train and equip the Lebanese so that they can secure their own borders rather than rely on external forces to do it for them.

Karioth described the German role as "non-executive and strictly advisory."

The mission works with the Lebanese at Rafik Hariri International Airport, the Syrian border in the east, and ports all along the coast to train them in monitoring incoming goods.
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The German government has already donated scanning machines for trucks coming into Lebanon from Syria and other machines for airport security.

"It is important for us - and I would like to stress this - that the mission's task is clearly limited to providing consultancy, training and equipment as requested by their Lebanese counterparts," said Haas.

Another major part of the reconstruction program for Lebanon is the rehabilitation of the water and wastewater systems in the country, and the accomplishments on this front are numerous. Between 2006 and 2007, the German government will have donated 27 million euros to these and other water-related causes. It has already rehabilitated five water reservoirs and established chlorine dosing systems in 30 water stations, among other projects.

Nabil Jisr, The president of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, represented the Lebanese as strong allies and grateful recipients of German aid. Jisr said the donations being discussed at the meetings did not include the German contribution to UNIFIL, "which might reach hundreds of millions of euros."

Jisr also praised the close relationship between the two countries. "The leading role of the Federal Republic of Germany both at the European level and within the international community ... has initiated close and sustainable relations at all levels between our countries," Jisr said.

Haas concluded the meeting by striking on its theme - Lebanese ownership of German donations. "All projects will be handed over to the Lebanese once our contribution is completed. ... Reconstruction and development will only work if the Lebanese people consider them not as the task of foreign government or some institution or group, but as their own task," he added.