Press release

Beirut Blast Anniversary

Lebanon now a humanitarian crisis

3 August 2021  /  Beirut - Lebanon

Daniela Dönges

Press Officer
daniela.doenges@medair.org
+33 6 20 09 40 53

One year after the explosion at the heart of Beirut, Lebanon is suffering from its worst economic crisis in at least 30 years. Often described as the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East’, the country was once considered a pillar of stability for the entire region. Since late 2019 the Lebanese pound has lost nearly 90% of its value, and according to the World Bank, the crisis is one of the deepest depressions of modern history.

A dwindling economy, COVID-19 and political unrest were all compounded by the explosion on 04 August 2020. Lebanon has also been hosting more than one million Syrian refugees, giving it the highest per capita in the world, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

‘Before the explosion the economic conditions and social unrest were definitely affecting Lebanese families, but the humanitarian response was focused on Syrian refugees who were approaching ten years of displacement,’ says Anna Chilvers, Country Director for the Swiss-based humanitarian organisation Medair. ‘Since the blast, the situation for Lebanese families has worsened. The country is not only supporting refugees, but is facing a crisis of its own.’

Currency devaluation and decreased purchasing power of the Lebanese pound means that more than half of the population in Lebanon now lives below the poverty line, according to the UN. With currency devaluation, a monthly living wage in Lebanon that was once valued at USD 800 is now closer to USD 70. At the official exchange rate (USD 1 = LBN 1,500), a single bottle of milk that used to cost USD 1 now costs USD 13. In late July, the UN Children’s Agency warned that the public water system could collapse at any moment.

Following the explosion in Beirut, Medair repaired shelters and offered psychological support to affected families affected. With the economic crisis, humanitarian needs in Lebanon are now much higher. Additionally, Medair has been providing health and shelter support to refugee and vulnerable Lebanese families in the Bekaa Valley since 2012. Since June 2021, Medair has also been running a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Saida, South Lebanon, and has been providing routine childhood immunisations to both refugee and Lebanese families.

For media

Media enquiries should be directed to:

In Lebanon:
Abdul Dennaoui, Communications Officer (English, Arabic)
abdul.dennaoui@medair.org

In Switzerland:
Daniela Dönges,
Press Officer (German, English, French)
daniela.doenges@medair.org
+33 6 20 09 40 53

Medair is an international humanitarian NGO that provides emergency relief and recovery services to families made vulnerable by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises.

For regular updates, please check www.medair.org

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and Global Support Office staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.