Lebanon’s economic downturn pushes many communities into poverty, file photo
Beirut … News Time
Observers warn that poverty-stricken prisons in Lebanon could face riots and widespread unrest in the event of an overcrowding and the worst of the hunger crisis. According to Arab News, the claim by prisoners’ representatives and human rights organizations comes at a time when many state institutions are heading for collapse due to Lebanon’s economic crisis. Hunger, along with malnutrition and health-related diseases, are a growing problem in Lebanese prisons especially in poor areas where many prisoners depend on their families for food and medical care. Prisoners fear they have been left behind as the country’s economic woes have reduced the minimum wage by about 90 percent. This has pushed many communities into poverty.
Mohammed Sablouh, a representative of the lawyers’ union’s prison committee and a lawyer, told the parliament’s human rights committee that hunger had entered Roumieh prison. Roumieh prison, the country’s main prison, is considered better than other prisons.
Speaking to Arab News, Mohammed Sablouh said that the prison kitchen provides food to about 800 inmates without any outside help. The rest of the inmates receive money from their families to buy food from the prison store. However, the growing economic crisis in the country means that about 3,200 inmates depend on prison meals as prices for items in prison stores have risen and most families are unable to pay the inmates more. Mohammed Sablouh further says that an apple is eaten by two prisoners while dairy products have been replaced by jam. What can a diabetic do? On the other hand, a source close to the Interior Ministry said that all items sold in jail stores are subsidized. As far as food savings are concerned, the same is true of food in all households, even in the ministry. It should be noted that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program have declared Lebanon as a center of hunger.
