Lebanon risks exhausting drug supply amid lack of foreign exchange

By Naim Berjawi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - Lebanon is suffering from an acute shortage of imported drugs, particularly for chronic diseases, amid a lack of foreign exchange in the country, Lebanese pharmaceutical importers warned on Sunday.

"The importing companies have run out of hundreds of essential medicines that treat chronic and incurable diseases," the Syndicate of Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers said in a statement, noting that this situation has been ongoing for weeks.

The body warned that "hundreds of other medicines will run out of stock during the current month of July" if the import of medicines does not resume immediately.

Lebanese health officials said in early June that the country was missing 70% of its medicines and medical supplies.

The syndicate also pointed out that importers continue to supply the market with a few medicines they still have in stock without interruption.

For a year and a half, Lebanon has been witnessing a severe economic crisis, bringing the country on the verge of a financial collapse.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara