Lebanon needs an aid paradigm shift

To avert a catastrophe in Lebanon, foreign donors need to change how they deliver aid to the country.

In the past two years, three successive crises converged to push Lebanon to the brink. First, there was the economic collapse in late 2019 which worsened over time. In early March, the Lebanese pound plummeted to a historic low. Salaries are now worth one-10th of what they used to be two years ago. Second, a deadly port explosion ripped through the capital, Beirut, on August 4, 2020, killing more than 200 people and causing massive destruction. Reconstruction is only in its early stages and it would cost more than $4bn. Third, the country has also been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has further put pressure on Lebanon’s struggling economy and severely strained its health sector. These crises have fuelled public anger and desperation. People continue to take to the streets in protest, blocking roads and burning tyres. Meanwhile, crime is on the rise, with burglaries becoming much more frequent. Fights break out often in public, sometimes over food. Many fear a social implosion.