An increasing number of people in Lebanon rely on charities for their iftar meals because of a currency crisis that eroded purchasing power and plunged more than half of the country's population into poverty.
For many Lebanese, Ramadan was a time for families and friends to gather each day for iftar banquets that symbolised Lebanon's rich traditions of hospitality.
But this year is different. The cost of food has almost tripled since the crisis unfolded, with shortages in foreign currencies fuelling hyperinflation and increasing the cost of staple foods.
The average cumulative monthly cost of iftar for a family of five is two-and-a-half times the country's monthly minimum wage, according to a study by the American University of Beirut's Crisis Observatory Unit.
One Beirut resident, who collected food from the Ibad El Rahman NGO to share with her family, told The National: "Without aid, we would become beggars.
“Although my kids have jobs, I still have to get them food because they can’t afford it,” said Mirna El Masri, a 56-year-old homemaker.
With a salary of three-times the minimum wage, Ms El Masri’s family could afford a decent living until late in 2019, when one of the worst financial crises to grip the country in decades unfolded. An 85 per cent drop in the Lebanese pound’s value against the dollar since then has reduced Ms Al Masri’s household income from approximately $1000 to less than $150 dollars today.
“They can now only afford to pay for electricity, water, milk, diapers, and rent. There is nothing left for food,” she said.
Local businessman Mahmoud Alwan, 60, who was picking up food for his workers, said: “This year is harder than previous years.”
Beirut’s residents blame the country’s economic woes on the ruling political class.
Political deadlock has hindered the formation of a new government almost eight months after the massive Beirut port explosion toppled Hassan Diab’s Cabinet and caused $15 billion in estimated losses.
Since then, Lebanon’s leaders have been bickering over the upcoming cabinet’s composition and regional agenda, leaving the country without a fully-functioning government to enact reforms in exchange for international financial support.
Abo Hamza, 55, a wholesale butcher whose company donates food to the Maedat El Rahman tent to help families struggling to make ends meet, said: “People are hungry, people are feeling miserable…but the government isn’t feeling the people’s pain.
“They all don’t care about the people. They are the decision-makers but there’s no decision so that people don’t starve,” he said.
Political paralysis and the coronavirus outbreak have compounded Lebanon’s economic crisis.
Concerns of a new wave of Covid-19 infections has prompted many NGOs to make home deliveries.
But families struggling to stay afloat say charitable donations are no solution.
"People who used to give are now in need," Mona Itani, a member of Ghiras charity group, told The National.
Mr Alwan said the devastating impact of the crisis was now clear to see.
“Some Lebanese families are now digging food from the trash. We are seeing everyday people searching for bread, food, and leftovers to eat,” he said.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
more from Janine di Giovanni
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
SCORES
Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Don%20Lee%2C%20Lee%20Jun-hyuk%2C%20Munetaka%20Aoki%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
More coverage from the Future Forum
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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