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The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said on Sunday that half of Lebanon’s population may not be able to meet their basic food needs by the end of the year.
This came about in a study entitled “Is there a threat to food security in Lebanon?”, Conducted by the committee and published its results in a press release, in which it said that the explosion of the port of Beirut, the collapse of the Lebanese currency by 78%, the sharp increase in poverty and unemployment rates, and the closure measures that were taken to contain the Corona pandemic, are the main reasons that led to this result.
On August 4, the Lebanese capital spent a bloody night, following a huge explosion in the port of Beirut, which left the victims and the injured with massive material damage, with losses estimated at 15,000 million dollars, according to figures. unlimited officers.
According to the study, the depreciation of the Lebanese pound has led to significant inflation, which is expected to exceed the annual average of 50% in 2020, after it was 2.9% in 2019.
Last July, the average price of food products increased by 141% compared to what it was in the same month of 2019.
Food prices are expected to rise further due to the increase in import transaction costs after the port explosion and lack of confidence in managing their safety and availability, which may increase panic buying.
Faced with this reality, Rola Dashti, ESCWA Executive Secretary, asked the Lebanese government to prioritize the reconstruction of grain warehouses in the port of Beirut as essential for national food security, rehabilitating the central warehouse for medicines and guaranteeing the supply of essential drugs and vaccines to the most vulnerable groups, according to the Declaration.
He added that “immediate measures must be taken to avoid falling into a food crisis, especially through strict control of food prices, setting a ceiling on basic prices and promoting direct sales from local producers to consumers.”
He also warned of an increase in the cost of agricultural production by more than 50%, which will limit local production in the short term.
ESCWA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations and works to support comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development in Arab countries and some countries in West Asia.
Source: Anatolia Agency
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