Farmers in Lebanon have been hit particularly hard by the country’s ongoing economic crisis, and their condition has deteriorated since Saudi Arabia banned agricultural imports from the country. The Saudi prohibition is aimed at drug trafficking, notably the amphetamine Captagon, which is produced in Hezbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon and frequently smuggled out of the country through farm exports
On 4 August, the world through media coverage view one of the most dangerous events after the 9/11 in U.S, a warehouse at the Beirut Port exploded, recording widespread casualties and material damage. The incident sparked the immediate intervention of national and international search and rescue teams and disaster management experts requested to support ongoing emergency efforts. From initial reports more than 135 people were killed and an additional 5,000 people were injured. Infrastructures were damaged around port; commercial and residential neighborhoods and people went missing. Health wise, medical personnel were overwhelmed with casualties, with many intensive care units (ICUs) already near capacity due to COVID-19. The Lebanese government estimates that the explosions left more than 300,000 people homeless in the Greater Beirut area, but part of preventing disasters of such magnet of Beirut will mean strengthening port management and addressing crimes such as smuggling and corruption
Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, chairs a virtual briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Lebanon
Lebanon’s government has resigned after last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut — and reports of negligence by the country’s officials — unleashed a wave of public anger that added to months of unrest in the country. The resignation of the country’s prime minister and his Cabinet come as many Lebanese fear that hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid could end up in the pockets of the same politicians whom they hold responsible for the catastrophe
Lebanon, for years was seen as a model of both economic progress and resilience in the Middle East, but mismanagement and corruption have led to prolonged protests and economic collapse. Now, the Lebanese currency has lost most of its value and an estimated 70 percent of its people need aid
Lebanon in recent months has been hit by a series of crises. First, mass protests, then an economic meltdown, and finally the coronavirus lockdown. All of this has left hundreds of thousands of migrant workers – many of them women – from across the world vulnerable, and in a growing number of cases, out on the streets
As Lebanon’s economy grinds to a halt and its political system comes under increasing pressure from the streets, young people are leaving the country in droves. Instability and a lack of opportunity are creating an exodus of Lebanon’s best and brightest as they reluctantly seek sanctuary elsewhere
Since October, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens have taken to the streets of Beirut to protest what they say is a corrupt political system that has failed to provide even the most basic of services. But without much media coverage, protesters are using social media to get the word out
Clashes broke out early Monday in Beirut, as supporters of Hezbollah ambushed an ongoing anti-government protest. In Iraq, officials say an anti-government protester was been killed Tuesday by security forces and 21 others wounded amid ongoing clashes with security forces in Baghdad. Analysts say mass protests such as these and elsewhere have persisted longer and with more intensity than at any time in recent history
Protesters in Lebanon came out en masse on Sunday, marking a full month of demonstrations against government corruption, and a host of other grievances. But after all this time in the streets, are demonstrators any closer to achieving their goals?