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Lebanon not spared global food and fuel crisis made worse by Ukraine war: UN senior aid official
Veteran UN aid coordinator Najat Rochdi on Friday signalled grave concerns about rising humanitarian needs across Lebanon linked to the global food insecurity crisis, which is affecting “everyone, everywhere”.
Since last year, the number of people in urgent need of support has risen by 46 per cent, said the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, speaking in Geneva.
“Lebanon’s crisis is affecting everyone, everywhere across the country, with women bearing the brunt of the profound impact of this multi-layered crisis…2.2 million vulnerable Lebanese, 86,000 migrants and 200,000 Palestine refugees in Lebanon currently require emergency aid; in addition to 1.5 million Syrian refugees that are unable to afford or even access health, food, electricity, water, education and waste-water management, not to mention lifesaving protection services.”
Asked specifically about the fallout on global food and fuel insecurity in already struggling Lebanon from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Ms. Rochdi told journalists that the country was “no exception”, after suffering a spike in fuel prices, greater food insecurity and difficulties importing food.
Even hospitals had been affected, faced with an “acute shortage in medical supplies and power shortages, at a time when over 40 per cent of Lebanon’s doctors and 30 per cent of nurses have left country, since the beginning of the economic meltdown”, she added.
Unemployment – and in particular growing youth unemployment – has forced many of the country’s youngest and brightest jobseekers to leave Lebanon, she noted, with almost one-third of the population out of work now, compared with 11.4 per cent before COVID-19.
Women are also facing an alarming rise in sexual exploitation, in inverse proportion to the country’s “economic meltdown”, the UN official said, pointing to widespread reports of women and children “feeling unsafe in public spaces, such as streets, markets or when using public transport”.
To help meet these and many other challenges, Ms. Rochdi issued a revised humanitarian appeal for $546 million for more than one million Lebanese, refugees and migrants.
Highlighting how the UN and its partners have taken action to help, she noted that emergency fuel supplies had been distributed to more than 600 health facilities and water pumping stations “to ensure the provision of lifesaving services to the most vulnerable populations affected by this ongoing energy crisis and maintain the provision of basic services across Lebanon”.
ends
STORY: Lebanon Humanitarian Update – OCHA
TRT: 2 mins 52s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH/ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 1 July 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, Press room, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (FRENCH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “L’impact de la guerre en Ukraine sur le Liban est le même qu’ailleurs, il faut le dire, l’impact de la guerre en Ukraine sur les pays, c’est bien évidemment les prix, comme vous l’avez si bien dit, du fioul, etcetera, c’est aussi un impact par rapport à la sécurité alimentaire, c’est aussi un impact par rapport à l’approvisionnement; donc le Liban n’est pas une exception.”
- Mid shot, TV camera operators.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “Lebanon’s crisis is affecting everyone, everywhere across the country, with women bearing the brunt of the profound impact of this multi-layered crisis.”
- Mid shot, journalists, participants typing on laptops.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “2.2 million vulnerable Lebanese, 86,000 migrants and 200,000 Palestine refugees in Lebanon currently require emergency aid; in addition to 1.5 million Syrian refugees that are unable to afford or even access health, food, electricity, water, education and waste water management, not to mention lifesaving protection services.”
- Close-up, pen in hand, notes being written on notepad.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “Hospitals suffer from an acute shortage in medical supplies and power shortages, at a time when over 40 per cent of Lebanon’s doctors and 30 per cent of nurses have left country, since the beginning of the economic meltdown”
- Close-up, microphones in foreground, blurred, Najat Rochdi in focus, side shot.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “Alarmingly, gender exploitation and sexual exploitation and abuse are on the rise. We have received widespread reports of women and children feeling unsafe in public spaces, such as streets, markets or when using public transport.”
- Close-up, hands typing on laptop keyboards.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon: “Through the emergency fuel provision, we have been able to support over 600 health facilities and water pumping stations to ensure the provision of lifesaving services to the most vulnerable populations affected by this ongoing energy crisis and maintain the provision of basic services across Lebanon.”
- Medium shot, participants typing on laptops, podium speakers to rear.
- Close-up, TV viewfinder showing Ms. Rochdi in frame and to rear.
- Medium shot, participant writing on notepad, microphone on desk, TV camera and tripod to rear.
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New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
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In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
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Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
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