Parliament speaker warns Lebanon could soon be on brink of famine

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has sounded the alarm about the humanitarian cost of the ongoing crisis in the cash-strapped Arab country, warning that Lebanon could soon be on the brink of famine and completely relying on aid for survival if the current political paralysis persists.

“We are heading towards a very dangerous phase, which we may not be able to avoid later on. We need to form a quick government to deal with the economic and financial complications to save the country,” Berri told the Lebanese Arabic-language daily newspaper al-Akhbar on Monday.

The senior lawmaker pointed out that the circumstances and factors surrounding the process of government formation have run into a deadlock, emphasizing that there is nothing more important than the financial and economic fate of the country.

Berri then warned about an imminent famine in Lebanon in the wake of serious deterioration of living conditions and a possible economic collapse.

Also on Monday, President Michel Aoun postponed parliamentary consultations to select a new prime minister for a second time.

“President Aoun responded to the wishes of [caretaker] Prime Minister Sa’ad al-Hariri to postpone parliamentary consultations until Thursday December 19 for additional discussion on government formation,” a statement from the presidential office read.

It is not the first time the talks have been delayed. Parliamentary consultations had been scheduled for December 9 before being pushed back a week.

ME