Lebanon: Economic crisis impacts essential services
Lebanon Government signs fuel deal with Iraq to alleviate the pressure from an ongoing economic crisis which is affecting the delivery of supplies and essential services
Under the new agreement, Iraq says it will supply Lebanon with surplus fuel oil which will help alleviate the pressure on essential services, caused by frequent power outages. Services effected include Hospitals, Bakeries and Supermarkets.
Electricity provided by the Lebanese state was running for no longer than four hours a day, causing power rationing of up to 23 hours a day. Reliant on private generators for energy supply, the fuel crisis was exacerbated on Friday, once generator operators warned ‘they would turn off their engines’ due to a scarcity in diesel.
Hospitals dependent on generators, warned of their fuel running out which would put many patients at risk. Food costs have soared by 50% in the less than a month and Supermarket shelves are reported empty.
The country defaulted on its foreign debt last year and as a result has been given limited credit by the Central bank to purchase essential supplies.
Under the new deal, the Lebanese government has said it would offer services to Iraq in exchange for fuel, but the details of the services offered have yet to be reported.
More on
About the author
Lisa Hanley
Journalist
Lisa Hanley is an In - house Journalist working for The BCI. With a Masters degree in Televison Journalism from City, University of London, Lisa has previously worked as a Freelance Producer and Journalist for London Live, PA Media and Thomson Reuters Foundation. Her experience varies from producing documentaries, films and podcasts, to producing news packages for television and voiceovers for radio.
