Edmund Blair, Laila Basam

BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Sara Wissam, a Lebanese schoolteacher, and her husband had been in good health before a crash on the local currency smashed the value of their salaries. This led to them being dragged towards poverty.

This is common in Lebanon’s middle classes, who have had to make unimaginable choices due to an ever worsening economic situation: cut back on food, cancellation of trips, or applying for emigration.

According to the mother of her three children, “It used be that our income lasted a whole month.”

Wissam stated, “Now, it’s not sufficient for one trip at the supermarket to get essentials,” and explained how she doesn’t buy meat anymore, cuts back on cheese, and picks small treats for her kids with care.

Ayman Hadad is a 28 year-old graduate from university. He has landed a job as a clerk in a shop and earns $125 per month. He wants to go with friends who have immigrated. Ayman Hadad has submitted a request to Canada. He said, “Enough with Lebanon. He stated, “We have lost all hope.”

2019 was the year that Lebanon fell into financial ruin. This happened because of poor spending habits, paralysis by rival political factions and the unwillingness to lend a hand to the government if it did not reform.

According to the World Bank, the crisis is one of the worst ever since the mid-19th Century. It has devastated a nation once considered a liberal and wealthy outpost in Middle East prior to civil war that broke out between 1975 and 1990.

About 80% of the population of 6.5 million are considered poor; in September, more than half of families had at least one child who skipped a meal https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/children-skipping-meals-majority-families-lebanon-unicef-says-2021-11-23, UNICEF said, compared with just over a third in April.

Over 90% of the currency’s value has disappeared and banks have barred savers from their accounts. Some estimates put that the state’s debt reached 495 percent of 2021 gross domestic product, a level far higher than those experienced by some European countries ten years ago.

The government’s inability to address the problem has only added to the frustration of the people.

The majority of Lebanon’s last three years have seen caretaker government leadership. Politicians have struggled to decide who should head an investigation into the cause.

People are seeing signs of economic and social collapse. An armed man demanded access to his saved money and took control of the bank in Beirut, where the state telecom company closed down Internet service in Beirut.

‘FRIDGE EMPTY’

Before the crisis hit, Lebanon’s power grid had been in constant decline. There were also frequent blackouts across the country. The bankrupt government is unable to run its power plants. Many homes are only able to receive an hour’s electricity each day.

Yola al Musan, a Beirut-based supermarket owner, relies on electricity supplied by the neighbourhood generator for lighting his home.

Musan rushes to start the washing machine when the national grid starts up. She only has a sufficient current if she does.

Wissam, the school teacher, has found it difficult to feed her family even though both her and her husband have stable jobs.

Wissam, her husband, and their combined monthly income was about 3 million Lebanese pound per month before the crisis. At the current exchange rate of 1,500 to a dollar, it was roughly $2,000.

Their combined earnings now amount to $140 even with Wissam’s modest wage increase. This has caused the currency to plummet to $25,000 per dollar and pushed up the cost of local goods.

“Lebanon’s leaders are joking with each other, accusing one another of corruption.” She said that they were all thieves and corrupt, and she was echoing international and public criticisms of the way the crisis is being handled.

Some politicians, including former leaders of militias and other members from family lines who ruled for many generations over nation’s Christian-Muslim communities, admit that corruption is a problem but insist they don’t hold the responsibility and are trying to save the country.

However, a long-running dispute about who should lead the inquiry into the port blast has caused delays in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. This fund is vital for unlocking foreign support from France.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, once a reliable Gulf donor, has taken a step back many years ago to voice anger over Iran’s growing influence in Lebanon via Hezbollah. This group is supported by Tehran and boasts a highly armed militia.

Najib Mikati, the billionaire prime minster whose position is held under sectarian politics by a Sunni, has sought to repair Gulf ties. Hezbollah has also been critical of Gulf countries and held conferences to discuss domestic opposition to the monarchies.

Meanwhile, the cabinet is expected to hold its first meeting https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/lebanon-draft-budget-applies-range-fx-rates-official-source-says-2022-01-21 in more than three months on Monday to discuss a draft budget it hopes will ease financial pressures and quell public anger.

Shadi Al Ali Hamoud, 39 years old, said, “If every one of them donated even a tiny amount of their wealth the poor would not exist in Lebanon.” He returned home from his work as a chef to meet with his family. Look at your fridge. It’s empty.