Executive Magazine’s April/May issue

The lockdown in Lebanon has been extended for a fourth time, till May 24. Easing measures are seeing those who can slowly reopen businesses and try to get back to work. But protests have also sprung anew. The reality is for many, there was no work before the lockdown began, and there will be none even when it is fully lifted. Meanwhile, the lira is in freefall, decimating the purchasing power of many Lebanese as prices in the supermarkets continue to rise at alarming rates. One confrontation between a protester and an army officer, widely shared online, saw the officer respond to the protester’s shout of being hungry with “I’m hungrier than you.” Human Rights Watch warned earlier in April that millions of Lebanese were at risk of going hungry due to lockdown measures. Now, more than ever, is the time for rigorous, honest, and investigative journalism.  When it became