Analysts predict that Lebanon’s newly formed government would eliminate subsidies on basic goods such as fuel by the end of this month. The government has given cash cards to the most needy to replace a bloated subsidy system, but in a country where the UN estimates that 78 percent of the population lives in poverty, there are doubts that this will be enough
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
The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) sent a team from the Force Commander Reserve to assess the magnitude of yesterday’s explosion at Beirut port. As a result of a huge explosion at Beirut Port yesterday evening, one of the UNIFIL ships of the Maritime Task Force docked in the port was damaged, leaving some UNIFIL naval peacekeepers injured, some of them seriously. UNIFIL is supporting the affected peacekeepers from Bangladesh, who have been injured by the explosions
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