Today's Edition
AHMAD MURAD (BEIRUT)
As the repercussions of the presidential vacuum that Lebanon has been experiencing for almost a full year worsen, the severity of the humanitarian crises suffered by millions of residents, whether Lebanese, displaced Syrians, or Palestinians, increases.
The United Nations (UN) said that Lebanon is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with approximately four million people urgently needing food and humanitarian assistance.
The UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Beirut, Imran Reda, mentioned that Lebanon has been without a president for a year, adding that many of the country’s institutions are not functioning. He noted that, over the past four years, Lebanon has faced a series of complex crises, which the World Bank describes as “one of the ten worst financial and economic crises the world has seen since the mid-19th century”.
This has led to a significant increase in humanitarian needs across all population sectors. Lebanese political analyst Youssef Diab said that Lebanon is undergoing one of the most dangerous humanitarian, economic, political, and social crises in its history.
The presidential vacuum, which the country entered at the beginning of November 2022, has exacerbated the effects of these intricate crises, causing millions of Lebanese and Syrian displaced people to suffer from a severe food shortage. The constitutional deadline set for the Lebanese presidential elections lasted between September 1 and October 31, 2022.
However, after 12 failed sessions to elect a new president, a presidential vacuum was created, putting Lebanon in a difficult situation.
Currently, the country is managed by a caretaker government that is unable to make essential decisions, especially regarding the implementation of political, economic, and monetary reforms.
These key decisions are a condition for reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to obtain a loan worth $3 million, which Lebanon cannot access due to the complex political circumstances. Diab confirmed to Aletihad that the vital sectors in Lebanon have been severely impacted by political and economic crises.
These crises have created an unprecedented rise in food prices, which surpass the purchasing power of thousands of families, he noted. The political analyst pointed out that Lebanon is now in dire need of consensus among political factions to elect a new president and enforce a comprehensive reform programme.
The newly-elected president should form a National Salvation Government capable of leading the country to safety, he added. Lebanese writer and economic analyst Maisaa Abdel-Khaleq noted that Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis is a natural consequence of the political and economic crises that have been plaguing the country for several years. Their impacts and dimensions have intensified with the entry into the presidential vacuum, which has lasted for almost a year now.
Abdel-Khaleq told Aletihad that Lebanon is going through the worst political, economic, and humanitarian crisis, which is reflected in the numbers. The poverty rate among Lebanese people has exceeded 82%, and nearly 50% of the population is now at risk of a food security crisis. Therefore, it is unsurprising that four million people in Lebanon urgently need food and humanitarian assistance, she noted.
