The government has raised the price of bread for the fifth time in a year, due to the cessation of sugar subsidies. The EU threatens sanctions on leaders due to political stalemate, and Israel must not ignore the crisis across the border
The situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate, and no solution is currently in sight. For the fifth time in the past year, the Lebanese Ministry of Economy raised the price of subsidized bread this week - this time by 18%, due to the cessation of central bank assistance in subsidizing sugar prices that led to more expensive production processes, at least according to the official announcement.
The bread crisis - much more than another symbol of the country's ongoing economic crisis - began in June 2020, when the government raised its price by 30% - the first increase in a decade. Since then, huge queues have been observed outside the bakeries on a regular basis, but as more families fall below the poverty line (over 50% of the civilian population, according to the World Bank and UN), even the most basic product is already considered a luxury. This is in addition to power outages throughout most of the day and a huge shortage of fuel, medicines and many other products, along with rising unemployment.