Millions of Lebanese residents are at risk of starvation because of epidemic-related closures, Human Rights Watch said, unless the government urgently develops a robust and coordinated aid plan.
According to the organization, the Corona epidemic contributed to the aggravation of a devastating economic crisis that was already present in Lebanon, and revealed the shortcomings of its social protection system.
Lina Zemet, senior researcher on poverty and inequality at Human Rights Watch, said the closure, aimed at slowing the spread of the Corona virus, had "exacerbated poverty and rampant economic hardship in Lebanon before the virus arrived."
"Many have lost their income, and more than half of the population may be unable to purchase their food and basic needs if the government does not intervene," she added.
Activists providing assistance to needy families in Beirut, Saida, Tripoli, and Zgharta told Human Rights Watch that no aid was actually provided despite previous government pledges.
Almost one month after the closure, the absence of any clear, timely, and coordinated response by the government has caused many families to starve and unable to meet their basic needs, including rent, according to the organization.
His taxi driver was burned when security forces fined him for violating the rules of closure. A frustrated peddler threw his vegetables in the street after the police stopped his work. An unemployed construction worker offered his college for sale because he could not pay the rent. Protests have already erupted against escalating economic hardships in various parts of the country, including the dome neighborhoods and Jabal Mohsen in Tripoli and Beirut.
"People in Lebanon are struggling while on the brink," Zemet said. "The government should quickly develop an aid program that protects people's rights, and provides them with the resources they need in this crisis to survive."