Bachelet (UN), situation in Lebanon almost out of control

(ANSA-AFP) - GENEVA, JULY 10 - The situation in Lebanon, a country plagued by the worst economic crisis in its history, "is rapidly escaping control". This is the warning launched by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet. Some of the most vulnerable Lebanese "are at risk of starvation because of this crisis," he said in a statement, adding: "We must act immediately before it is too late."
    Bachelet called on the government and the parties to implement "urgent reforms" and satisfy "the basic needs of the population such as food, electricity, health and education".
   Lebanon is experiencing the worst economic crisis of its history, exacerbated by the pandemic and by a delicate political context, characterized among other things by the tensions between the Ifilo-Iranian Hezbollah and the United States. In recent months, tens of thousands of Lebanese have been laid off or have suffered wage cuts. The national currency is in freefall, as is purchasing power. Savers do not have free access to their money, banks have imposed restrictions on withdrawals and transfers abroad. The Lebanese leaders themselves are accused of profiting from a corrupt system.
    Among the most vulnerable are some 1.7 million refugees, mostly Syrians, and 250,000 migrant workers who have lost their jobs and are homeless, said Bachelet. "It is important in these difficult times to reevaluate how we treat migrants," he said, calling for the protection of all "regardless of their origin or status."
   (ANSA-AFP).