Lebanon faces bread crisis amid flour shortage

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Lebanon’s bakery union on Wednesday warned of a bread crisis in the Arab country as several wheat mills halted operation due to lack of funding.

In a statement, the Bakeries Syndicate said bread bakeries face a shortage of wheat flour in several Lebanese areas.

“A number of bakeries have stopped making bread, while others have limited quantities of wheat flour that are sufficient for only one day,” it added.

The union blamed Lebanon’s Central Bank for the crisis.

“Banque du Liban is delaying the payment of wheat shipments for unknown reasons,” he alleged.

There was no comment from the Central Bank on the claim.

Lebanon needs around 40,000-50,000 tons of wheat to meet the local market needs. The Arab country imports around 60% of its wheat needs from Ukraine and Russia, which launched a war on its neighbor in February.

Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic crisis, including a massive currency depreciation as well as fuel and medical shortages.

The Lebanese currency has lost 90% of its value, eroding people’s ability to access basic goods, including food, water, healthcare, and education, while widespread power outages are common due to fuel shortages.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar