A Timeline of Crises in Lebanon

Lebanon is in survival mode. Yesterday hours of protests and gunfire killed six people and injured more than 30. The economy has collapsed, there is no functioning government, families have only a few hours of electricity a day and the healthcare system is struggling to stay afloat.

We’ve created a timeline to show you how Lebanon reached this point since October 2019, and how people like you can continue supporting those in need.

• October 17, 2019: People gather across Lebanon to protest corruption and the poor economy.

• February 21, 2020: First cases of COVID-19 are reported in Lebanon.

• August 4, 2020: Beirut port explosion occurs killing over 200 people and injuring 6,000.

• August 10, 2020: Just days after the Beirut explosion, Lebanon’s prime minister announces the government’s resignation.

• February 24, 2021: A study is released announcing that due to the collapsing currency, the minimum wage in Lebanon is one of the lowest in the world, little more than $2 per day (it has since fallen still further).

• June 1, 2021: World Bank says Lebanon is experiencing one of the most severe economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century.

• June, 2021: Fuel queues at gas stations become common.

• July 1, 2021: The UN estimates that 77% of households now do not have enough food, or enough money to buy food. In Syrian refugee households, the figure reaches 99%. The cost of food has soared by 700% over the past two years. Families in Lebanon must now spend ‘5 times minimum wage’ just on food.

• July 16, 2021: Health Ministry announces end to subsidies on many imported medicines; shortages nonetheless persist

• July 23, 2021: UN announces that the water supply in Lebanon is on the verge of collapse, with over 71% of population (more than four million people, including one million refugees) at risk of losing access to water.

• July 29, 2021: Hospital workers report a rise in cardiac cases as crucial heart medications become increasingly scarce

• August 15, 2021: Fuel explosion in Akkar occurs, killing 33 and injuring 79

• August 16, 2021: Anera’s Beirut office closes for most of the week due to the lack of electricity. Staff who can find power work remotely.

• October 14, 2021: Hours of gunfire kill six people and injured 30 more.

The at a time when the economy has collapsed, there is no functioning government, electricity is on for only a couple hours a day, medicines are running out everywhere, and most households do not have enough food or enough money to buy food.

Thanks to donors like you, we have been responding to the critical needs that have emerged due to the economic crisis and Beirut blast. It’s been almost two years since the protests began and our team in Lebanon has been working tirelessly to deliver aid and support to refugees and vulnerable communities. They too have been affected by these events and we can’t thank them enough for their hard work.

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