Lebanon’s waste crisis worsens amid COVID-19 outbreak
A local NGO is taking care of medical waste produced by health institutions amid the coronavirus crisis in Lebanon, which is already grappling with an acute trash crisis.
BEIRUT — Almost five years have elapsed since the outbreak of the waste crisis that hit Lebanon in July 2015, when waste filled the streets following the closure of the Naameh landfill south of Beirut. This landfill was initially built as a temporary fix for waste collection, but it caused cancerous diseases to many of the region’s residents.
This prompted major demonstrations led by the Lebanese youth who launched a campaign dubbed “You Stink” to protest the political elite’s mismanagement and corruption in addressing the waste crisis, as garbage filled up the streets.
