Beirut: In the midst of the present unprecedented financial crisis, a senior UN official has warned that Lebanon might become a "failed state" if the government fails to enact rapid and substantial reform measures.

"The Prime Minister should use his authority to advance the country. There isn't any time to squander "During a news conference conducted at the end of his assignment in Beirut, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Olivier De Schutter said. He also stated that Lebanon is "among the most unequal countries on the earth," with the wealthiest ten percent of the population controlling 70 percent of the overall wealth.

The presence of a large number of Syrian refugees; the devaluation of the Lebanese pound amid rising inflation; the Covid-19 outbreak, which increased school drop-out among students; and the impact of the 2020 Beirut port blasts, which left thousands of people homeless and hundreds of thousands more jobless, according to De Schutter. He went on to say, "Behind all of these difficulties, there is a crisis of confidence."

The official emphasised the importance of the political system regaining its integrity, particularly when it comes to the financial sector, which he blamed for the depreciation of the Lebanese pound and people's poverty.

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