15 Lebanese soldiers were injured yesterday in hours following the announcement of Saad Hariri’s departure in the face of his failure to form a new government.
5 soldiers were thus allegedly injured following the explosion of a large launch towards a patrol of the Lebanese Army in the district of Jabal Mohsen. This incident is not the first of its kind in Tripoli. 10 other soldiers were also reportedly injured by stone throws in the same neighborhood, one of the most disadvantaged in the region.
As for the balance sheet of The Red Cross, it indicates having transported at least 19 wounded during these clashes.
The military intervened to try to regain control during protests as the withdrawal of Saad Hariri’s candidacy caused the Lebanese pound to plunge again against the dollar. It has lost 93% of its value compared to its yard 2 years ago.
The constitution of a new government is, however, a precondition for the release of aid from the international community, which is supposed to revive the local economy.
This deterioration in the value of the Lebanese pound has in turn led to a deterioration in the purchasing power of a large part of the population.
Now, the minimum wage is $ 30 and the median wage is $ 97 per month, causing 75% of the Lebanese population to live below the poverty line, or on less than $ 6 per day. 77% of the population would no longer have enough to eat, including 33% of children, denounced a UNICEF report.
As for the World Bank, it estimates that the economic crisis which is currently going through Lebanon constitutes one of the 3 worst in the world since the middle of the 19th century.
