Speaking to the diplomatic corps, outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday called on the international community to immediately help Lebanon to avoid an imminent catastrophe that is before it. This collapse would have repercussions on the stability of the entire region, believes the Prime Minister.
The Scenario has become clear: Lebanon and the Lebanese are on the brink of disaster. (…) Lebanon is a few days away from the social explosion. The Lebanese are alone faced with this dark fate.
Hassan Diab, July 6, 2021
“No one will be able to take shelter from the danger of the collapse of Lebanon”, continues Hassan Diab who points out that Lebanon is hosting around 1.5 million Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, which could have consequences on Lebanon itself and the rest of the region.
The Prime Minister emphasizes that the fight against corruption and institutional reforms are reforms. However, “the link between any aid and these measures would only lead to the disappearance of the country as the leaders struggle to form a new government”, alluding to the demands of the international community to see a cabinet formed and reforms initiated for the release of this aid.
Therefore, tying Lebanon’s aid to the formation of a new government has become a threat to the lives of the Lebanese and to the Lebanese entity.
Hassan Diab, July 6, 2021
The outgoing Prime Minister also stressed that a new cabinet could resume talks with the International Monetary Fund, his being unable to do so for constitutional reasons.