Hunger stalks streets of Lebanon as prices soar
Darkness falling on country going through worst economic crisis since civil war ended
BEIRUT: “Lebanon is finished!” Thus shouted a woman inside a Beirut supermarket, visibly shocked by the prices of goods which have soared due to the continued devaluation of the local pound.
“We cannot continue like this. Lebanon is heading towards hunger,” said the woman, who wanted to be named only as Rana.
A stroll through supermarkets in the Lebanese capital these days reveals shelves virtually empty of the mainly imported goods the country relies on.
The dollar crunch has prompted buyers to turn to the few goods made in Lebanon as their imported equivalents disappear from the shops.
“When you enter a supermarket in Beirut these days, you either cry or hurry out because you can’t buy your children their necessities,” said Amira, another shopper.
Lebanon imports around three times more than it exports and most transactions are made in US dollars, which are growing increasingly scarce in the country.
People are flocking to stock up on candles amid fears that the nation’s fuel supplies will run out in coming days and the acute power cuts of the past two weeks will culminate in total darkness.
“As you know, Lebanese rely on generators to manage with the severe power cuts which the government has been imposing for years,” said Ibrahim Merhi, one generator owner. “Now if the fuel is gone, there will be no use of generators.”
Lebanon has been suffering from power shortages since the civil war, which ended in 1990.
Meanwhile, long bread queues are forming daily outside Beirut’s bakeries, as news spreads of price hikes announced by Economic Minister Raoul Naameh. He cited rising production costs.
“The flour is subsidised by the government, but we are paying high prices for other products we use such as bags and fuel,” said a bakery owner who did not want to be named.
“We sympathise with the people. But we are paying for all food commodities in dollars,” said Abed Fakhani, a supermarket owner.
Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
The Lebanese pound has lost more than 70% of its value against the dollar since October, when demonstrators took to the streets calling for economic reforms and accusing the ruling class of corruption.
The devaluation of the Lebanese pound has caused a sharp spike in prices of all essentials.
The Lebanese pound was at times trading as high as 9 200 against the dollar on the black market in some areas, while the official rate set by the Money Exchange Syndicate stood at 3 900 against the dollar.
“People cannot afford to buy anything any more. There is chaos in the market and the government is doing nothing,” said Mariam Kaddoura, a housewife.
Shop owners, butchers and small supermarkets have closed their doors, with some posting notes on their shutters, reading: “We are sorry, we cannot afford to serve you with good prices any more.”
To make matters worse, the price of bottled water is also set to rise. Lebanese have long stopped drinking tap water due to contamination.
A number of buyers say they have recently received SMS messages from suppliers of bottled water informing them that they will increase prices of their products due to economic problems.
Experts are now warning that the country is at risk of famine, a prediction that is quickly becoming a reality in many households.
“The Lebanese are facing a dark future. Hunger is knocking on everyone’s door,” said Emily Nassar, a housewife in Beirut.