The economic crisis weighs heavily on those fasting in Lebanon

The economic crisis weighed heavily on the lives of most Lebanese during the holy month of Ramadan, exacerbated their suffering, and affected their food security due to the exorbitantly high prices of food and consumer goods. With the intensification of the crisis, a large number of Lebanese were forced to change specific habits in their way of living, in order to keep up with the current reality, especially since prices rise more than once per day, in line with the rise of the dollar, after all commodities are now priced in US dollars or its equivalent. From the Lebanese pound on the basis of the exchange rate on the black market, in which the dollar exceeded the barrier of 100,000 pounds in the past days, after the Lebanese currency lost more than 95 percent of its value. And the blessed month of Ramadan came this year amid the exacerbation of the economic and living crisis and the high prices of commodities, consumables and foodstuffs, including meat and vegetables, which are naturally affected by the issue of the currency exchange rate, especially after Amin Salam, Minister of Economy in the Lebanese caretaker government, announced last February a working mechanism. The food index, which allows shops and supermarkets to price in dollars, justifying this decision by saying that it aims to control the market and protect the consumer in light of fluctuations in the exchange rates of the dollar. In this context, Dr. Muhammad Abu Haidar, Director General of the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade, referred, in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), to the impact of the rise in the exchange rate of the dollar against the pound on food prices during the holy month of Ramadan, indicating that Lebanon imports 86 percent of its food. Its foodstuffs are affected by the rise of the dollar against the lira. He stressed that the Consumer Protection Directorate in the Ministry of Economy will continue its field tours during the holy month of Ramadan to try to control prices and take the necessary measures against violators. Importing a number of foodstuffs and consumer goods from abroad as a result of low demand for them. The Director General of the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade affirmed that the Ministry’s Consumer Protection Department stands by the people in this holy month in confronting the greed of some merchants, some of whom take advantage of the opportunity of the holy month to raise prices, pointing out that many seizure reports have been written against violating merchants and the violations have been referred to the competent judiciary. . It is very difficult to determine the cost of the “Ramadan trip” in Lebanon this year, due to the fluctuation in the exchange rate of the dollar against the lira, which witnesses continuous fluctuations in one day. However, in any case, the issue is related first and foremost to consumers and the consumption pattern. Observers believe that most Lebanese groups suffer from the exorbitantly high prices of most consumer goods, and that the purchasing power has declined among almost all classes, in light of the worst economic crisis in Lebanon’s history, which was classified by the World Bank among the ten worst crises, and perhaps among the three worst. globally since the nineteenth century, while the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) revealed in a recent report that the poverty rate in Lebanon had risen to more than 82 percent. It is expected that the “Ramadan trip”, which has always been full of various types of food, including the dish of “fattoush”, appetizers, pies, chicken and meat, in addition to various types of sweets such as Kunafa and Qatayef, is expected to be affected. Expectations indicate that habits will change a lot this year, especially with the prohibitively high prices, and the inability of citizens to withdraw their deposits from banks. Undoubtedly, the suffocating crisis will push the Lebanese to abandon the habit of establishing large Ramadan travels rich in foods and extending invitations to relatives and friends, and iftars will be shortened for members of the same family and within very limited or extremely modest capabilities, and this issue has become settled among the majority of those who fast. Those who turn to this principle after difficult economic conditions imposed new choices on them. Reliance always remains on the strength of solidarity that characterizes the Lebanese people. Also, the blessed month of Ramadan this year descends on Lebanon amid the blockage of the political horizon and the continuation of the presidential vacancy since the end of last October, which exacerbates the economic crisis in the country, which reflects negatively on the living conditions of the population in light of great suffering and multiple problems, especially the high prices of basic food and consumables. Such as bread and vegetables, in addition to the high cost of the hospital bill, medicine, and so on.