![]() Petrol needed to commute to work is more expensive than what wages earn, public transportation is non-existent. As a result, cities remain dark at night, supermarkets are left unrefrigerated, hospitals operate on emergency power. How the population will be fed then remains unclear.Įlectricity, on the other hand, is available for two hours a day only, the rest has to be produced expensively and inefficiently through generators. ![]() The remaining flour will last for maximum one month. Flour is heavily rationed, but bread prices still increased sixfold. The war in Ukraine is driving up prices worldwide: Lebanon, practically bankrupt, cannot participate in the bidding wars. The largest non-nuclear explosion in history also destroyed its granaries, 80% of which were filled with flour from Russia and Ukraine. Lebanon's ability to feed its population has been further limited since the 2020 port explosion. Even in 2021, before the Ukraine war, there was a funding gap of 1.1 billion euros for UN assistance in Lebanon and only 1/3 of funds necessary for food aid were available. As a result, many people can no longer afford basic foodstuffs and about 3.2 million people need support in the form of food, water, and shelter. Prices continue to rise and so this year, Beirut, Lebanon's capital, shot from 45th place in 2020 to a dizzying third place among the world's most expensive cities. Since 2019, Lebanon, for example, has been hit by one of the three toughest economic crises the world has witnessed since the 1950s: Due to an inflation rate of 90 per cent, the minimum wage fixed at the former equivalent of 410 euros is now worth only 25 euros. Yet, the conflict is currently even aggravating the situation within states that were already in crisis before the war started. ![]() UN Secretary General Guterres fears that the world may forget crises like those in Yemen, Syria, or Lebanon because of the Ukraine war. We should, however, also look at the war’s impact beyond its immediate neighbourhood. "If the international community wants to mitigate the war’s consequences for people living in states facing crises, it must not reduce its support despite the increased costs caused by the war in Ukraine.” (Viktoria Budde)Ĭurrently, not a day goes by without media coverage of the war in Ukraine: The suffering of the people fleeing to neighbouring countries and the extent of violence at the centre of Europe are horrifying. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |