In a major move that will add to Lebanon’s economic woes, Saudi Arabia announced a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from the country located in the Middle East, citing rise in drug smuggling.

The ban will last until Lebanese authorities take stringent measures to curb the menace of drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia, state news agency SPA reported.

The Lebanese foreign ministry had been informed of the ban through the Saudi embassy, Reuters reported.

“Lebanese authorities must exert utmost efforts to control all smuggling operations to prevent harm to innocent citizens, farmers, industrialists and the Lebanese economy,” the country’s foreign ministry said.

Located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon’s economic crisis is posing a threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Its currency has lost about 90% of its value since late 2019.

Over the past one-and-half year, over 50% of the country’s population has fallen into poverty.

In order to avert a food crisis following last week’s explosion in Beirut, the United Nations will send grain to Lebanon. The World Food Programme will ship 50,000 tons of wheat flour to Beirut, enough to supply Lebanon for three months.

The explosion exacerbates the plight of the country, which has been battered this year by the COVID-19 pandemic and a financial meltdown.

“Grain silos have been mostly destroyed, causing fears of skyrocketing food prices,” the WFP said.

Lebanon might run out of bread in about 2.5 weeks as 85% of the country’s grain comes through Beirut’s devastated port, the head of the U.N. food agency said.

For the first time since last week’s horrific blast, two ships docked at Beirut’s port on Monday including one carrying grain.

World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley told a virtual U.N. briefing that “at the devastated site, we found a footprint that we can operate on a temporary basis.”

As Lebanon’s main grain silo at Beirut port was destroyed in a blast, the country is left with just a month’s grain reserves but still have enough flour to avoid a crisis, the nation’s economy minister stated.

Sources said about 85% of grain silos have reportedly been destroyed after the massive explosion. Following the explosion, government officials asserted that all of the wheat stored at the facility had been contaminated and could not be used.

It is to be noted that the explosion was the most powerful ever to rip through Beirut. Lebanon’s economy was already in meltdown before the blast.