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Lebanon's Crisis Increases Its Poor

Published June 24th, 2020 - 07:12 GMT

Earlier this year, Lebanon defaulted on its debt and while the peg to the dollar remains unchanged, the Lira has since nosedived on the black market. In a country so heavily reliant on imports. Prices have soared almost as fast as the currency has plummeted.

Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of society into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households.

Photographers spent several days in June visiting people's homes in the main cities of Beirut, Tripoli, Byblos, Jounieh, and Saida to ask them how they managed to put food on the table.

Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up.

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This combination of pictures created on June 22, 2020 shows Lebanese citizens, across the country, displaying the content of their refrigerators. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB, ANWAR AMRO, JOSEPH EID, Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP

This combination of pictures created on June 22, 2020 shows Lebanese citizens, across the country, displaying the content of their refrigerators. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB, ANWAR AMRO, JOSEPH EID, Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP

A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP

A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP

A Lebanese man looks at his empty refrigerator at his apartment in the capital Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

A Lebanese man looks at his empty refrigerator at his apartment in the capital Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP

A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP

A Lebanese child stands next to an empty refrigerator in their apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut. Image Credit: AFP

A Lebanese child stands next to an empty refrigerator in their apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut. Image Credit: AFP

Those who accepted to be photographed posed in front of open refrigerators whose bare shelves often hinted at the leanest of diets. Image Credit: AFP

Those who accepted to be photographed posed in front of open refrigerators whose bare shelves often hinted at the leanest of diets. Image Credit: AFP

Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up. Now it contains only a bottle of mineral water and two cucumbers. | A Lebanese woman displays the content of her refrigerator. Image Credit: AFP

Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up. Now it contains only a bottle of mineral water and two cucumbers. | A Lebanese woman displays the content of her refrigerator. Image Credit: AFP

The crisis is sounding the death knell of a middle class that is sliding into the half of the population the World bank now estimates lives under the poverty line. Image Credit: AFP

The crisis is sounding the death knell of a middle class that is sliding into the half of the population the World bank now estimates lives under the poverty line. Image Credit: AFP

A Lebanese man displays the content of his refrigerator at his apartment in the southern city of Sidon. Image Credit: AFP

A Lebanese man displays the content of his refrigerator at his apartment in the southern city of Sidon. Image Credit: AFP

This combination of pictures created on June 22, 2020 shows Lebanese citizens, across the country, displaying the content of their refrigerators. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB, ANWAR AMRO, JOSEPH EID, Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese man looks at his empty refrigerator at his apartment in the capital Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese child stands next to an empty refrigerator in their apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut. Image Credit: AFP
Those who accepted to be photographed posed in front of open refrigerators whose bare shelves often hinted at the leanest of diets. Image Credit: AFP
Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up. Now it contains only a bottle of mineral water and two cucumbers. | A Lebanese woman displays the content of her refrigerator. Image Credit: AFP
The crisis is sounding the death knell of a middle class that is sliding into the half of the population the World bank now estimates lives under the poverty line. Image Credit: AFP
A Lebanese man displays the content of his refrigerator at his apartment in the southern city of Sidon. Image Credit: AFP
This combination of pictures created on June 22, 2020 shows Lebanese citizens, across the country, displaying the content of their refrigerators. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB, ANWAR AMRO, JOSEPH EID, Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP
This combination of pictures created on June 22, 2020 shows Lebanese citizens, across the country, displaying the content of their refrigerators. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB, ANWAR AMRO, JOSEPH EID, Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese man looks at his empty refrigerator at his apartment in the capital Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
A Lebanese man looks at his empty refrigerator at his apartment in the capital Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese woman stands next to her empty refrigerator in her apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut on June 17, 2020. Lebanon's economic crisis has led to a collapse of the local currency and purchasing power, plunging whole segments of the population into poverty as exemplified by near-empty fridges in many households. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP
A Lebanese child stands next to an empty refrigerator in their apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut. Image Credit: AFP
A Lebanese child stands next to an empty refrigerator in their apartment in the port city of Tripoli north of Beirut. Image Credit: AFP
Those who accepted to be photographed posed in front of open refrigerators whose bare shelves often hinted at the leanest of diets. Image Credit: AFP
Those who accepted to be photographed posed in front of open refrigerators whose bare shelves often hinted at the leanest of diets. Image Credit: AFP
Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up. Now it contains only a bottle of mineral water and two cucumbers. | A Lebanese woman displays the content of her refrigerator. Image Credit: AFP
Holding her fridge door open, Fadwa Merhebi explains she already downsized once because she could not afford enough food to fill it up. Now it contains only a bottle of mineral water and two cucumbers. | A Lebanese woman displays the content of her refrigerator. Image Credit: AFP
The crisis is sounding the death knell of a middle class that is sliding into the half of the population the World bank now estimates lives under the poverty line. Image Credit: AFP
The crisis is sounding the death knell of a middle class that is sliding into the half of the population the World bank now estimates lives under the poverty line. Image Credit: AFP
A Lebanese man displays the content of his refrigerator at his apartment in the southern city of Sidon. Image Credit: AFP
A Lebanese man displays the content of his refrigerator at his apartment in the southern city of Sidon. Image Credit: AFP

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