UN Envoy: Lebanon Is Failing Its People
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After a 12-day visit to Lebanon, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights reported on scenes he would "never have imagined" he would see in a "middle-income country."
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UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter
UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, embarked on a 12-day visit to Lebanon - which, by the end of it, expressed his shock at the economic situation in a report.
"Lebanon is not a failed state yet, but it is a failing state, with a government failing its population," he said in a press conference in Beirut. "I saw scenes in Lebanon that I never imagined I would see in a middle-income country."
He continued, “It is known that Lebanon incurs high levels of debt, but high debt-to-GDP ratios do not, in and of themselves, lead to a debt crisis,” adding that “the question arises as to what political leaders have spent resources on; for decades Lebanon has ignored the need to social policies, from strong social welfare programs and public service infrastructures, focus instead on unproductive sectors such as banks, continually multiplying public debt, and dedicating those resources to its service."
De Schutter revealed that “the state of inequality in Lebanon at unacceptable levels has existed for years, and even before the crisis, the richest 10% of the population had an income 5 times higher than the poorest 50%,” explaining that “this outrageous level of inequality is reinforced by a tax system that rewards the banking sector, encourages tax evasion, and concentrates wealth in the hands of a few.”
“The population is subject to regressive taxes that hit the poorest most. This is a human-made disaster that was long in the making,” De Schutter said.
BREAKING - #Lebanon is not a failed State yet, but it is a failing State, with a government failing its population. I heard no credible poverty alleviation plan from the Government that does not rely on international donors and NGOs.
— UN Special Rapporteur on poverty and human rights (@srpoverty) November 12, 2021
NEW! 👉Press Release https://t.co/NFAhFyZq3y
According to international organizations, 80% of Lebanon's population is living below the poverty line as the Lebanese lira continues to lose its value against the dollar, which, right now, is at a 90% loss.
The inflation rate, one of the highest in the world today, averaged 131.9% over the past 6 months, according to the World Bank - the "human-made disaster."
"While the population is trying to survive day-to-day, the government wastes precious time evading accountability and scapegoating refugees from the comfort of their offices," De Schutter said.
The Lebanese government has recently lifted subsidies on fuel, and it slowly works to lift the subsidies on flour and medicine, driving poverty further.
