A Syrian man in his 50s set himself on fire in east Lebanon Sunday and was sent to hospital with third-degree burns, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The NNA reported that deteriorating living conditions led to the incident, which occurred in the Bekaa Valley region.
The 52-year-old used gasoline to light the fire.
The man has died after being transferred to the Bekaa Hospital.
Lebanon hosts between 1.5 and 2 million Syrians, nearly one million of whom are officially registered as refugees with the United Nations.
COVID-19 lockdown measures have exacerbated the burden on Lebanon’s population, which has been struggling with a flagging economy for months. The pandemic has forced citizens to stay at home and has shut down businesses across the country to curb the spread of the outbreak. Many as a result are not receiving their salaries or are unemployed.
On Thursday, a Lebanese man in Sidon also attempted to set himself on fire after receiving a fine he could not afford to pay for violating general mobilization procedures by opening his shop. The police had demanded the closure of his business in accordance with intensified lockdown procedures to curb the outbreak of coronavirus.
Lebanese authorities have introduced "discriminatory restrictions" exclusively targeting Syrian refugees as part of their response to the coronavirus, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the Lebanese government of pressuring refugees to return to Syria despite the absence of any settlement to end a conflict now in its 10th year.
Zaman Al Wasl, The Daily Star
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