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Economic Instability

Lebanon’s precarious economic situation has not improved in recent times. The Lebanese Pound has sunk to historic lows, and inflation rates have skyrocketed to 190% recently. The government has been unable to respond adequately to these stresses, resulting in a significant reduction in purchasing power, even for basic necessities.

These factors have driven people to poverty, including households with multiple streams of income. Access to public services has become increasingly more difficult, with private services being completely unaffordable for many. Access to healthcare has resulted in increases of disease and sickness as families struggle to afford treatment and medication. The healthcare system in Lebanon is near collapse as increased costs of imported medical supplies and medication increase, rendering it unable to handle these challenges.

Food Security

Food insecurity remains a pressing concern in Lebanon, with millions of people struggling to access nutritious meals on a daily basis. A number of vulnerable communities in the country are particularly being affected by the current situation. Among them, Syrian refugees, Palestinian refugees, women and children are facing high levels of food insecurity. The state of the economy remains a key factor in people’s ability to gain access to food, but is also compounded by recent cross border conflict, as well as political instability. A devalued currency, alongside the inability of the economy to grow and sustain a high employment rate has left many to become susceptible to hunger and malnutrition.

Lebanon Port Explosion

On August 4, 2020, a large explosion occurred in Lebanon’s capital city, at the Port of Beirut. The large explosion shook the entire city, sending seismic waves across the region equivalent to a 3.3 magnitude Earthquake. It destroyed a section of shoreline and left behind a crater nearly 120 metre in diameter. The Explosion killed 218 people with more than 6,000 people suffering various degrees of injury, some life altering. 300,000 people were left homeless. The explosion also caused billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. About 15,000 tons of grain were destroyed, leaving the country with less than a month’s worth of grain in reserve. This explosion occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic where medical resources were already stressed, overwhelming medical facilities that were experiencing supply shortages and were not able to pay hospital staff.

Lebanon’s Water Security

Water security is another critical issue facing Lebanon, exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure, pollution, and water scarcity. The country’s access to clean water, along with infrastructure inadequacies led to a severe crisis that could have resulted in more than 4 million people losing access to water in 2021. Low rainfall, coupled with an influx of Syrian refugees have increased demand with existing infrastructure that has not kept up with required expansion and maintenance. As a result, the risk of waterborne disease has gone up significantly, along with the spread of cholera and other communicable diseases. An already stressed healthcare system that is near collapse has been unable to keep up with the number of patients that have been inflicted with these illnesses.