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Lebanon’s economy has further to fall

Location:

LEBANON

The central bank has struggled to address a deep financial crisis that, exacerbated by COVID-19, has impoverished a whole population. In addition to complex exchange controls, it…

Lebanese elites’ economic rescue planning may fail

Location:

LEBANON

After six weeks of protests that began when the government tried to cut its fiscal deficit by increasing indirect taxation and reducing public services, Lebanon is now rapidly…

Damascus will likely fail to stem currency collapse

Location:

SYRIA

The Syrian pound’s weakening beyond 1,000 to the dollar on the parallel market has exposed the chronic weakness of the economy, even as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces move…

Lebanon’s central bank vacuum heralds more devaluation

Location:

LEBANON

A cabinet meeting yesterday to discuss a replacement failed to achieve quorum, as key political forces boycotted it. The first deputy governor, who succeeds by default, has…

Contested Syrian oil will have limited economic impact

Location:

SYRIA

This depreciation reflects the underlying weakness of the government’s financial position. Political and territorial advances in favour of President Bashar al-Assad -- most…

Lebanese elites may just manage to meet donor demands

Location:

LEBANON

This follows the September 26 resignation of Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib, who failed to build consensus between fragmented elites, including Shia political-military…

Political challenges in Lebanon face the IMF agreement

Location:

LEBANON

The government had met a number of the IMF’s conditions, including the passage of a capital control law and an electricity sector reform plan. It had also completed an audit to…

Syrian currency collapse will drive food shortages

Location:

SYRIA

The Syrian pound's exchange rate fell by 40% in the first week of June before recovering slightly. After nine years of ruinous conflict, the struggling economy has been brought to…

Lebanese Shia will rely on Hezbollah parallel economy

Location:

LEBANON

This promptly followed reports of a large explosion at a Hezbollah-linked fuel depot on a smuggling route across the Lebanon-Syria border, possibly targeted by Israeli planes.

Palestinian refugee violence will be hard to control

Location:

PALESTINIANS

The tensions have been exacerbated by increasing high levels of poverty, triggered by the collapse of the Lebanese economy and a UN funding gap, weak Palestinian leadership, the…