Lebanon: Medicine Going Out of Stock, Smuggling Fears Mounting

Lebanon: Medicine Going Out of Stock, Smuggling Fears Mounting
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Lebanon: Medicine Going Out of Stock, Smuggling Fears Mounting

Lebanon: Medicine Going Out of Stock, Smuggling Fears Mounting

A number of Lebanese have complained of the exhaustion of certain medicines, including medications for chronic diseases. This caused panic and fear, especially in a country where the interruption or loss of any basic commodity or service such as bread, diesel, and electricity has become natural and possible at any moment.

The head of the Pharmacists Syndicate, Ghassan al-Amin said that Lebanon was not heading towards a drug crisis.

“The availability of medicines is linked to continuous subsidies,” he affirmed.

Amin explained that some drugs were sometimes unavailable for 10-15 days, because of the mechanism adopted by the Lebanese Central Bank in opening credit lines for importers.

Another reason that contributed to the recent exhaustion of drugs is because “some citizens are stocking medicine in their homes. This has “significantly increased drug consumption and contributed to its depletion from pharmacies,” according to Amin.

Smuggling is another contributor, the head of the Syndicate said, expressing his fears that this phenomenon would worsen with the deterioration of the value of the local currency against the USD in the parallel market.

Responding to fears over the rise of prices, Amin stressed that all medicines were subsidized, noting that prices would not rise but they might decrease.

The increase in prices was only seen in nutritional supplements and some products that are sold in pharmacies and are not classified as medicines, he noted.

Amin revealed that there are around 200 pharmacies that have recently closed and expected the number to reach 1,000 out of 3,000 within a year, because most pharmacy owners were unable to sustain further losses.



UNCTAD: 'Painful' Cuts Threaten Our Task to Help Developing Countries

UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan (AFP) 
UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan (AFP) 
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UNCTAD: 'Painful' Cuts Threaten Our Task to Help Developing Countries

UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan (AFP) 
UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan (AFP) 

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), tasked with helping developing countries access the global economy, faces “painful” cuts as part of broader reforms prompted by a decline in global donor funding, its secretary general has said.

Rebeca Grynspan told Reuters she was concerned the agency’s work will be hampered while demand for its services grows, as countries seek information on the impact of sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

For UNCTAD's 2026 budget, Grynspan said she and her team had proposed cutting 70 posts. That is from an overall headcount of 500 including consultants, with about 400 permanent posts.

“This is painful. There's no way to disguise this ... we haven't cut that number of posts ever in one budget,” she said.

“It really will constrain the organization and the things that we can do”.

UN agencies like UNCTAD are having to cut costs amid a financial crisis triggered in part by the US, which has provided nearly a quarter of the world body's funding, and longer term liquidity problems.

“What worries me the most is the possibility to respond to countries in their needs fast enough,” Grynspan said.

Grynspan, who is part of the task force on broader UN80 reforms to improve efficiency and cut costs at the UN, said she was involved in discussions on how to better divide tasks among the UN's development agencies through collaboration.

The UN Secretariat, the global body's executive arm, is preparing to slash its $3.7 billion budget by 20%.

About 75 agencies and departments faced a June 13 deadline to propose budget cuts.

The UN in Geneva is proposing leaving the historic Palais Wilson, which houses its human rights office.

The final decision on UNCTAD's proposed budget will be made by the UN Secretariat and member states in September.