In a new escalation within the framework of combating and cutting off the sources of terrorism financing, the State of Kuwait has taken a decisive step by adding eight Lebanese hospitals to its national terrorism lists. This decision reflects Kuwait's strict commitment to international and Gulf standards in monitoring financial transfers and charitable work, to ensure that funds do not reach entities classified as supporters of violence or affiliated with banned organizations.
Context of the decision and its security background
This decision is not an isolated event, but rather part of a broader set of measures taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to regulate financial transactions with Lebanon. This step is based on precise intelligence and security reports indicating the connection of these healthcare institutions to partisan and political entities designated as terrorist organizations by the GCC and international bodies. Kuwait aims, through this measure, to prevent the exploitation of humanitarian and healthcare as a front for financing illicit activities or supporting armed groups, which aligns with the country's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.
The history of Kuwaiti-Lebanese relations and the aid file
Historically, Kuwait has always been at the forefront of providing aid to Lebanon, whether through the Kuwait Fund for Development or through charitable organizations and the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. Kuwait contributed to the construction and restoration of numerous hospitals and health centers in various Lebanese regions following the civil war and the 2006 war. However, political tensions in recent years, and the growing influence of some armed political groups in Lebanon, have prompted Kuwait and the Gulf states to reconsider their aid delivery mechanisms and tighten oversight to ensure that aid reaches its intended beneficiaries, free from political or military manipulation.
Expected repercussions on the Lebanese health sector
This decision is expected to have tangible repercussions for Lebanon's healthcare sector, which is already suffering from near-total collapse due to the crippling economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019. Many hospitals in Lebanon rely heavily on donations, zakat (Islamic alms), and remittances from expatriates or Gulf charities. Therefore, blacklisting these eight hospitals will freeze any Kuwaiti financial transfers to them, cutting off a vital lifeline that helped cover treatment costs, medications, and medical supplies, potentially exacerbating the suffering of patients in the areas served by these institutions.
Regional and international dimension
This decision underscores the unified Gulf stance on the Lebanese issue, with Kuwait's move aligning with similar actions taken by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region. It also sends a clear message to the international community that Kuwait is serious about its international commitments to combating terrorism, and that Kuwaiti charitable work, despite its widespread reach, is subject to strict controls that brook no compromise when national or regional security is at stake.
