Prime Minister Hassan Diab has warned of a major food crisis in Lebanon which is facing an unprecedented economic and financial crisis made worse by the COVID-19 disease.
In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post, Diab also warned of eventual “starvation” in the Middle East that he said may spark a new migration flow to Europe.
He urged the United States and the European Union to establish a dedicated emergency fund to help the conflict-prone region.
In a stark warning, the PM said many Lebanese may soon find it difficult to afford even bread.
"Once the breadbasket of the Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon is facing a dramatic challenge that seemed unimaginable a decade ago: the risk of a major food crisis," Diab wrote.
"A few weeks ago, Lebanon witnessed its first 'hunger protests.' Many Lebanese have already stopped buying meat, fruits and vegetables, and may soon find it difficult to afford even bread."
Lebanon defaulted for the first time in March on its sovereign debt.
Anti-government protests that erupted in October over widespread corruption subsided during a nationwide lockdown since mid-March to blunt the spread of the coronavirus, but sporadic protests continue.
Diab’s government is seeking a rescue program from the International Monetary Fund while grappling to deal with the financial crisis that saw the local currency crash, people’s savings devastated and prices and inflation soar in the past few weeks.
COVID-19 and lockdowns had "dramatically worsened the economic crisis and profoundly disrupted the food supply chain,” said Diab.
Eighty percent of Lebanon's wheat had been coming from Ukraine and Russia, but last month, Russia suspended wheat exports, while Ukraine is considering a similar move, he added.
