Lebanese are despairing over their next meal as the economic crisis worsens

Lebanese are despairing over their next meal as the economic crisis worsens

The price of meat, for example, has doubled since March, with ground beef now running at about $9 a pound.. Mustafa, a 73-year-old butcher in Beirut, said the same customer has been calling him every other day for weeks asking whether the prices have dropped: "He calls and says, 'No, that's expensive,' and hangs up.. A new wave of protesters, most of them poor and hungry, has taken out frustration on banks, which have enforced capital controls and limited people's access to their money.. On May Day, dozens of protesters descended on Tripoli's main square. ". Abu Ahmed, a retired soldier, went to his bank in Tripoli to withdraw his pension.. There's no way to earn your living," said Abu Ahmed, 50.. But in Ramadan, you fast all day for 13 hours to eventually eat a meal that brings you joy and brings your kids joy.. "I would like to buy two trays of dessert to bring home.. Pistachios and pine nuts, essential in savory meals and sweet desserts, are a distant dream..