U.S. Government Encourages Partnerships Between Municipalities And Lebanese Living Abroad

July 23, 2009

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon Mission Director Denise A. Herbol attended the results ceremony for the “Profiling Expatriate Prospects for Local Development Partnership” project.

This $15,000 USAID project, implemented by Relief International in partnership with the Lebanese Emigration Research Center, is part of USAID’s $19.9 million “Municipal Capacity Building and Service Delivery” program.

The project empowers Lebanese municipalities by creating a database of Lebanese living abroad who are interested in establishing economic partnerships with their home villages.  Over 150 emigrants have already contributed or are willing to contribute to their villages’ economic development.  These emigrants are from fifteen villages surrounding the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp and from villages in Akkar, Saida, Jezzine, Rihane, and Jbeil.  The project will continue to cover an additional 115 villages.