The Lebanese Minister of Industry, George Bushkian, issued on Friday a decree no. 16/1 banning “the export of food manufactured in Lebanon…except after obtaining a permit issued by the Ministry of Industry and signed exclusively by the minister authorizing export, until further notice”.
The minister also added that this decision will be implemented as soon as it is issued to all the necessary departments.
The export ban includes more than 20 food items, such as meat, processed vegetables and fruits, dairy products, milled grain products, sugar, bread, coffee beans, tea, and some types of alcohol.
This step matches the necessary measure taken by many countries around the world to safeguard their food reserves at the rising food crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The spark of the global food crisis has led to Indonesia tightening the export of palm oil since Russia and Ukraine produce almost 80% of the world’s sunflower oil. Egypt banned this week the export of wheat, flour, lentils, and pasta.
Ukraine also announced the banning of its agricultural exports, including barley, sugar, and meat, leaving many countries, like Lebanon, to face a shortage of wheat reserves.
Lebanon, which has been struggling to keep providing wheat to its population since the Beirut Blast, is now at a more pressing spot since it has been trying to secure deal supplies from other countries, notably India and Turkey.
As of yet, the Russian-Ukrainian war is showing no indication to possibly stop any time soon. Russian military operations appeared relentless in the face of Ukraine’s adamant resistance. An estimate of over 2 million people have already fled from Ukraine and many are still attempting to cross the borders to safety.
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