The Lebanese army scrapped meat from soldiers’ meals in June because of the increase in food prices caused by the country’s worst-ever economic crisis.
Lebanon depends on imports to feed itself, and the crash of the local currency in the past year and a half has triggered hyper-inflation.
The latest government figures show that the price of food increased by 417 per cent in the past year.
In parallel, soldiers’ monthly wages went from being worth on average $866 a month to just over $100.
Early in March, Gen Aoun said in a speech that soldiers were going hungry. “Where are we going? What do you intend to do? We have warned, more than once, about the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of a social explosion,” he said, addressing Lebanon’s politicians.
Lebanese commander warns of funding crisis
09 March 2021
by Nicholas Blanford
General Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), has taken the unprecedented step of publicly urging Lebanese politicians to tackle the grave economic and financial crisis gripping the country, warning that failure to do so could lead to a collapse.
Gen Aoun criticised Lebanon’s politicians in a speech publicised by the LAF. (Lebanese Armed Forces)
“Everyone is suffering because of the political and economic situation,” he told a gathering of senior officers on 8 March in a speech released on the LAF website. “People are getting hungry and the LAF is part of the people. Soldiers are getting hungry and suffering as well. To you political leaders: where are you and what are you doing?”