[ DW ] As Lebanon nears collapse, EU debates sanctions
The Lebanese want the EU to sanction political leaders they say are responsible for the country’s crisis. Some EU nations are in favor, but experts warn sanctions could be dangerous.
Lebanon continues to unravel as its economic and political crisis worsens. The country has not had a government for almost a year now and its economy is in the process of collapsing after decades of mismanagement and corruption.
Over the past month, there have been stories both absurd and horrifying coming out of the small Mediterranean nation.
For instance, at the same time that the Lebanese army announced it would be offering tourists $150 (€126) helicopter rides in order to make some money, reports came from the northern city of Tripoli that gunmen were roaming the streets and setting up roadblocks.
It is estimated that almost half of all Lebanese now live below the poverty line thanks to the ongoing crisis. An assessment released by UNICEF yesterday found that around 77% of Lebanese households don’t have enough food or enough money to buy food.