Syrian refugees in Lebanon: ‘After corona, there’s no food anymore’

Eight years ago, Aisha, a Syrian refugee, arrived in Lebanon with her husband and children to escape the horrors of their homeland. They built a small house in Bekaa Valley, and the family finally felt safe.

“There was work for me, my husband, and my kids. We were able to get vegetables for a low price, all the food was affordable,” she says.

But after the Lebanese economy crashed, causing the lira to tumble, along with the coronavirus crisis a few months later, life has become extremely difficult for the family. Lebanese food prices have doubled, and in some cases even tripled.

“After corona there’s no food anymore. You go to get produce but you come back because you can’t afford it.”

Her cousin Basawi, who also lives in the camp, says the situation is so bad that “some children have never seen meat aside from in the butcher’s window”.

His wife works 13-hour-days in the nearby fields, making just 20 cents an hour. She needs to work for four hours just to be able to afford a litre of milk.