Lebanon said on Friday it had asked for help from friendly and sister countries in financing imports of basic goods, and sources said Paris was planning an international meeting to rally support for Beirut in the face of a severe economic crisis.
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he had requested help from friendly countries to provide credit for imports of food and raw materials.
He addressed letters to the king of Saudi Arabia, the presidents of France, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and China, as well as the Italian prime minister and US secretary of state.
Hariri called on these leaders to secure "credits for importation from these countries, so as to ensure the continuity of food security and raw materials for production of various sectors."
The messages come as protests entered their 51st day to demand an independent government and fight corruption.
On the other hand, European sources said that France has invited a summit of the international group to support Lebanon on the eleventh of this month.
Lebanon is suffering from an economic and financial crisis and a lack of liquidity as a result of the balance of payments and trade deficits.
Several sectors are facing difficulties in importing basic materials from abroad as a result of the scarcity of the dollar and the prevention of remittances in green currency outside the country.
The Lebanese noted the discontinuation of a number of medicines and a significant rise in food prices, in return for a significant reduction in their purchasing power.
The Ministry of Health asked the Central Bank to intervene to provide the necessary amounts in dollars to facilitate the import of medical equipment.
The current crisis is the result of years of sluggish growth, with the state unable to carry out structural reforms and declining foreign investment, with the exception of the repercussions of the political divide that has been exacerbated by the conflict in Syria on an economy based mainly on services and tourism.
Public debt is $ 86 billion, equivalent to 150% of GDP.
One third of the Lebanese live below the poverty line, and the youth unemployment rate is 30%. The current economic meltdown threatens to rise, according to the World Bank.