Psychology books stacked on Abir's desk, a student at the Lebanese University. (Credit: Layal Dagher/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Six years after the start of Lebanon's economic collapse, and with the war between Hezbollah and Israel devastating part of the country since October 2023, L’Orient-Le Jour met with Lebanese people from different backgrounds to understand how they have had to reinvent their daily lives and future plans in order to adapt to the country’s new economic standards — if not simply to survive.She grew up used to saving, whether her birthday money or the 250 or 500 Lebanese pound coins left over after buying a school snack. Abir, a psychology student, now collects in her piggy bank coins that have no value, money that doesn’t even exist anymore. “I thought those savings would allow me to treat myself to small pleasures without having to ask my parents. But that independence is still out of reach,” she says, disappointed. At 22, the young...
Six years after the start of Lebanon's economic collapse, and with the war between Hezbollah and Israel devastating part of the country since October 2023, L’Orient-Le Jour met with Lebanese people from different backgrounds to understand how they have had to reinvent their daily lives and future plans in order to adapt to the country’s new economic standards — if not simply to survive.She grew up used to saving, whether her birthday money or the 250 or 500 Lebanese pound coins left over after buying a school snack. Abir, a psychology student, now collects in her piggy bank coins that have no value, money that doesn’t even exist anymore. “I thought those savings would allow me to treat myself to small pleasures without having to ask my parents. But that independence is still out of reach,” she says, disappointed. At 22,...
In infographics: How 4 months of Israeli attacks and war devastated Lebanon