Over-indebted Lebanon plunges into deep crisis

“We were part of the middle class; now ; we are poor. " For Alishan Hagopian, who was employed by an engraver until March, the observation is clear. Until last summer, his family lived well. Today, she struggles to eat. For the first time in her life, her mother asked for food aid last month.

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Like an entire country, the fall of the Hagopian family seems endless. By the end of the year, 60% of Lebanese could live below the poverty line, according to the Minister of the Economy, Raoul Nehmé. Although relatively contained in Lebanon, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the disintegration of a country already in agony, weighed down by one of the highest debts in the world (155% of GDP in 2019). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts a 12% contraction in the economy in 2020.

Lebanon's economic problems go back a long way. Almost destroyed during the 15-year civil war that ended in 1990, the industry and

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