Sharjah 24 – AFP: Pharmacies in crisis-hit Lebanon began an indefinite strike on Friday over medicine shortages as the cash-strapped state struggles to afford subsidies on key imports.

The country is facing what the World Bank has called one of the world's worst economic crises since the 1850s, and its foreign currency reserves are fast depleting.

Drug importers warned on Sunday that they were running out of hundreds of drugs, and that the central bank had failed to pay suppliers abroad millions of dollars in accumulated dues under a subsidy scheme.

The association of pharmacy owners announced there would be a "general open-ended strike across Lebanon" from Friday morning.

Ali Safa, a member of the association, said 80 percent of pharmacies had stayed closed in Beirut and other big cities, and around half had done so in other areas.

Medicine importers' syndicate head Karim Gebara told AFP on Sunday that some drugs to treat cardiac diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis were already out of stock.

Suppliers could then sell all the other drugs according to the black market exchange rate to the dollar, he said, in order not to make a loss.

The central bank on Monday said it would earmark $400 million to support key products including medicine and flour.

Gebara said the central bank had promised $50 million a month in subsidies for medicine, which would cover just half of importers' current bills.