Image Name: Lebanon Says
Image Credit: Africanews
The situation in Lebanon has sharply worsened; United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has issued a stark warning to the U.N. Security Council, stating that “hell is breaking loose” in the country. Lebanon has endured a series of crises in recent years. The update presented here brings to life an intensification of the tensions that could well spin completely out of control. At this point, the U.N. pleads for emergency international intervention to avert one full-scale disaster from knocking on its door.
A Country in Crisis
A country once an epitome of diversity and resilience, such as Lebanon, today undergoes the stiff backlash of unprecedented convergence of political, economic, and social disorder. One needs to only listen to the warning made by the U.N. chief to understand how terrible things are, giving the Lebanese people an absolute dismay. From runaway economic collapse to dysrhythmic politics, it has been untangling the very fabric of its institutions and its society.
Economic Freefall
The crux of Lebanon’s crisis is the economic meltdown. There has been a deep financial crisis in the nation since 2019. Hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and general substandard infrastructure forcing the majority of people to live below the poverty line has become rampant. The Lebanese pound lost over 90% of its value, and banks started limiting withdrawals. As a consequence, most of the public reacted in outrage. The IMF has done its best to push in reforms, but political gridlock has ended up suppressing any real progress.
Political Instability
The sectarian divisions on which the political system of Lebanon is based are a blessing in disguise and a curse. It once maintained a delicate balance of power for the different religious and ethnic groups but is now one of the causes of paralysis in the country. Political leadership, being incapable of rising above the sectarian interests they espouse, are entrapped in an infinite power struggle; their interest in governance is bypassed by the same. This led to failure of establishing a stable government after several elections and had substantially weakened the state’s capacity to cater to its people. The U.N. repeatedly appealed to Lebanon’s political elites to set aside their differences and take measures for the interests of the people but largely ignored such calls.
External Pressures
Lebanon’s challenges are far more than just its internal ills. It has been a battle ground of proxy warfare for regional power centers from Israeli, Iranian, and Saudi Arabia interests alike for years. Hezbollah, with its military and political might as a dominating Shiite organization backed by Iran does have great influence over Lebanon’s political and military playfields. This latest round of tension with Israel and other playmakers around the Middle East only serves to add to this country’s destabilization.
Clashes have been quite common on the Lebanese-Israeli border lately and are feared to bring about a wider regional conflict. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in Lebanon is trying to keep the situation calm, but the situation remains volatile. Confrontation over border skirmishes has been of interest to the Security Council, especially because it could easily expand into a full-fledged war in the region and add to the internal disorder that can already be seen in Lebanon.
Image Name: U.N. Chief
Image Credit: Media.UN
UN Demands Action
Lebanon now, as in the past, has always experienced severe worsening times; hence Guterres urged the international community to act fast in its efforts for Lebanon. He also called for a multi-dimensional approach that would address a few layers of crisis: economic, political, and humanitarian afflicting the country.
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warned of fulltime collapse in Lebanon, which would be a catastrophe not only for the people of Lebanon but for the region at large if urgent action is not taken. He insisted on a significant increase in aid directed towards the most needy populations of the country and urged world leaders to cooperate toward arriving at a solution which brings Lebanon out of its present political deadlock.
Possible Solutions
The situation in Lebanon is undoubtedly complex, but feasible ways forward can be considered. Foremost amongst these will be economic reforms that will mobilize the stream of finance from the IMF and other global donors. That would require some political leadership to put aside sectarian interests and work together for the good of the nation. In this respect, international pressures on the political factions of Lebanon may also prove very significant in inducing dialogue among them. France, with historical ties to Lebanon, and the United States, because of its heavy influence in the region, could use their diplomatic clout more encouragingly for compromise. The last aspect that requires renewed focus is on the reduction of regional tensions. There should be a guarantee that external powers would not turn Lebanon into a battleground, most especially on the role of Hezbollah and its regional backers.
Conclusion
Lebanon is at a critical point. The warning from U.N. International intervention is needed, and the wake-up call must come from Secretary-General António Guterres. The task is monumental, but there remains the faintest glimmer of hope of saving the country from itself if the international community does its duty and the political will follows from within Lebanon itself. The world cannot turn its back on Lebanon at a time when Lebanon needs it. The consequence for the country itself would be disastrous, while the whole region would be traumatized by such an act of turning its back.
