DAILY NEWS
Lebanon’s Currency Has Reached a New Record Low
Yesterday, Lebanon’s currency reached a new low at LL15,150 to the dollar. [Middle East Eye] Today, it dipped even further at LL15,400 to LL15,000 on the black market. The Lebanese pound has lost about 90 percent of its value since late 2019 at the start of Lebanon’s economic meltdown. [Naharnet]
PM-Designate May Consider Stepping Down As Latest Talks Fail
Sources say Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is seriously considering stepping down from his role almost eight months after his designation. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s latest attempts to break the political gridlock by appointing a 24-member cabinet have failed thus far. Lebanon is now almost 10 months without a government. [The Daily Star]
President Aoun Meets with US Mediator on Maritime Border Talks
Today President Michel Aoun met with US mediator John Desrocher to discuss maritime border talks with Israel and the latest updates since the talks were halted. [Naharnet] Border talks had resumed in May, but were quickly stopped when Aoun claimed that the US was imposing pre-conditions and subsequently ordered Lebanon’s delegation to halt participation. [Al Arabiya]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
United States Institute of Peace
Lebanon on the Brink of Historic Breakdown
Osama Gharizi and Mona Yacoubian
“Already accomplices to this economic collapse due to years of corruption and mismanagement, Lebanon’s leaders have been reviled for their limited response. With Lebanese exasperated with their increasingly desperate situation, there could be widespread social unrest and a major breakdown, which would have important humanitarian and regional security implications.”
USIP’s Osama Gharizi and Mona Yacoubian look at what this means for the Lebanese people, the potential security and regional implications, and how the international community can help.
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies
Bridging the Education Gap: How to Avoid a Lost Generation of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Daniel Garrote Sanchez
Sanchez writes: “Education is vital in providing individuals with skills and experiences that will afford them access to better and more secure work. The Lebanese government and international bodies have made efforts tot bring more Syrian refugee children into the educational system. Despite these efforts, about 54% of school-aged children (between the ages of 3 and 18) are still out of school. This policy brief uses econometric techniques to elicit the main drivers of education enrollment, distinguishing between different supply, financial, and demand factors. In order to determine the main factors – alongside econometric techniques – we use the Living Condition Survey of Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon (LCSRHCL) in three mid-sized cities in Lebanon: Saida, Zahle, and Halba. We find strong evidence that education enrollment rates of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are appallingly low due to the lack of affordability and monetary means of the impoverished refugee population, and not primarily due to supply constraints. This brief ends with policy recommendations on how to bridge the gap and bring more Syrian refugee children into the local education system.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.