In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the Lebanese pound fell sharply against the dollar. It has lost more than half of its value. Consequence: prices soar because almost 90% of everyday consumer goods are imported. For Bassem Snaije, associate professor of economics at Sciences Po Paris, Lebanon is "entering a phase of hyperinflation".

In this context, unemployment and poverty continue to grow rapidly. Yet it is precisely this economic and social situation that was already behind the protest movement, which started in October 2019. GDP could fall by 45% in 2020, according to some estimates, advance Bassem Snaije, who estimates that "the country is no longer on the brink, but is sliding into the abyss". 

This severe recession should also further deteriorate the country's financial situation. Lebanon could then resolve to ask for a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), already very much in demand with the coronavirus crisis.

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