British Minister in Beirut: Lebanon is threatened by hunger

British Foreign Office Minister for Middle East Affairs James Cleverley warned Thursday that Lebanon may not be able to feed itself as its financial crisis raises the level of poverty and inflation.
Cleverley described what Lebanon is going through as “a man-made problem that could have been avoided,” thus joining a group of voices that hold Lebanon’s ruling elite responsible for failing to chart a way out of the crisis.
Since last year, an unprecedented economic recession in Lebanon has led to sharp depreciation of the local currency, the lira and job cuts. And in recent months, images of people searching garbage bins or selling their belongings online in search of food have spread widely, the Reuters news agency reported.
The suffering of Lebanon and its people was compounded by the spread of the “Covid-19” outbreak and a major explosion in the port of Beirut that killed nearly 200 people on August 4.
Cleverley said he met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut.
Today, “the most urgent danger is the danger to food security: Lebanon is on the verge of being unable to feed itself.” He added: “Now, months after the explosion, Lebanon is threatened by a silent tsunami. Lebanon’s leaders must act. “
The Banque du Liban and its government shared the blame for the crisis. The bank’s governor, Riad Salameh, said on Tuesday that the central bank can only continue to support commodities for another two months, and that the state must come up with a plan to address the crisis.
As for the interim prime minister, Hassan Diab, he said that eliminating subsidies on vital commodities without helping the poor could cause a social explosion.
Cleverley said any termination of the grants would only make matters worse. He added: “I reiterate my call to Lebanon’s leaders to do what is required and undertake reforms, as the alternative would be horrible.”