Lebanon
Escalating since October 2019, the political and economic crisis is driving Lebanon to the brink of bankruptcy. The tragic situation has been exacerbated by a gigantic explosion of chemicals stored in Beirut’s seaport. The middle class has virtually ceased to exist. Educated citizens are fleeing hyperinflation, rising unemployment, power cuts and fuel shortages.
Overview:
- Since the beginning of the crisis, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of of its value
- Food prices increased by 400 % between January and December 2020.
- GDP fell by 20.3% (2020)
- 78% of the Lebanese population (3 million people) live in poverty. Extreme poverty has affected 36% of Lebanese (1.38 million)
- there is a nationwide shortage of essential medicines
- prolonged power and fuel shortages (up to 20 hours a day) are paralysing the daily lives of the Lebanese
We provide medication, food and basic hygiene and sanitation products for
250
chronically ill and destitute people
We feed
We treat
We have long been following the situation in which the people of Lebanon have found themselves. The explosion in Beirut in 2020 – the third most powerful man-made explosion in human history – was just the tip of the iceberg of all the problems in this small Middle Eastern country. On August 4, 2020, nearly 300,000 people lost their homes in a matter of seconds, 219 were killed and more than 7,000 were injured. However, the crisis unfolding here since 2019 may in the long run prove stronger and more devastating than the biggest blast of the century.
“People have no money to support themselves. The country lacks food, fuel and basic medicines, and the price of one packet of paracetamol has already reached a tenth of the average Lebanese’s monthly salary, says Dr Elias.”
Our interviewee is a dentist. In addition to his work in his clinic, he has been running the Adventure of Charity
association for 20 years, providing medicines to patients who cannot afford them, but their number is increasing day by day and he is no longer able to help everyone. It is for him and those in his care that we want and need to build another factory of GOOD right here in Lebanon.
Lebanon is going bankrupt by the day. Nearly 80% of Lebanon’s population report that they have difficulty obtaining food. People are eating less, they are not sending their children to school, they are asking friends abroad for medicines and money, and electricity is only available a few hours a day.
The official exchange rate for the dollar is 1,500 Lebanese pounds, but with the US currency virtually no longer available in the Central Bank vault, you can only get it on the black market. Corruption in the country is rampant and the banks have frozen the savings of the Lebanese. Not 1 500 but 26,000 Lebanese pounds are paid for one dollar on the black market today. This means that a salary of USD 800 two years ago is now worth USD 50.
The prices of medicines, food and most essential products have remained at pre-crisis levels because they are imported. A person earning an average salary of LBP 675,000 in Lebanon today can exchange it for at most 13 packs of paracetamol, spending his entire income on them. He can, although this is a punitive task as most pharmacies are standing empty. Oncology patients have had no chance of treatment for several months now. Those suffering from hypertension, diabetes and other chronic diseases are also helpless. Due to lack of anaesthetics, hospitals cancel all planned procedures to save only those who come to EDs in emergency cases.
How does the project work?
Adventure of Charity, run by Dr Elias, reaches 260 patients. These are mostly chronically ill individuals. Doctor Elias is constantly looking for new ways to get the necessary medicines in Lebanon or abroad.
We give our patients their help discreetly, wrapped in a gift bag. In addition to medicines, we try to give everyone what they need. Increasingly, these are also food products, cleaning and personal hygiene products. We deliver the necessary medicines and articles to the home of each person whom we are helping.
It is difficult to understand the situation of the Lebanese people based on figures alone, because these have no face. The 400% increase in food prices, the 90% loss of value of the Lebanese pound, or the poverty already experienced by 80% of the population are just numbers. However, it is enough to look into the eyes of the sick and helpless like Zoya, Manola or Georg, whom we visited, and all other patients of Dr. Elias, to understand just how dire a situation the Lebanese people are in.
We are very eager for you to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and help us respond to the needs of people who, without supplies of medicine, food and the most basic of products, will not survive the coming months.
What is most needed, of course, is medication. Buying what is still available in the country forces Elias to raise about $4-5,000 a month. This is difficult, because those who used to help him with donations are now asking for help themselves. We had no doubt that the next factory of GOOD had to be established right here. We sent Dr Elias a message that we are going to fight together with him to ensure the basic needs of those in his care.
