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Lebanon: Lack of fuel leads to nationwide power outage

2021-10-10T01:32:19.807Z


The power grid in Lebanon has collapsed. The failure will likely last several days. Many people in the country have long had to get by with little electricity.


Enlarge image

Power cables in Tire, Lebanon (archive image): The Lebanese population is suffering from an economic crisis

Photo: Aziz Taher / REUTERS

In Lebanon, the power supply has collapsed across the country due to a lack of fuel in important power plants.

The two largest still running power plants would have ceased operations on Friday and Saturday, respectively, said "Electricité du Liban", EDL.

The power grid has collapsed and cannot be restored at the moment.

The failure is expected to last several days, said a government representative of the news agency dpa.

Even before the collapse, the state provider was supplying very little electricity every day.

Two weeks ago he had already warned of the collapse.

Many Lebanese have to go without electricity for hours every day.

This also endangers the hospitals in the country.

Long queues regularly form in front of petrol stations due to the fuel shortage.

Private households and companies that can afford it now generate their own electricity with the help of generators.

However, their operation is also becoming more and more expensive.

The small country on the Mediterranean Sea has been experiencing the worst economic and financial crisis in its history for almost two years.

Around three quarters of the population now live in poverty.

The bankrupt state can no longer finance numerous subsidies and imports.

The international community has pledged hundreds of millions of euros in support.

However, these are tied to the condition that Lebanon gets a government that is able to implement the necessary reforms.

A new government was finally formed in mid-September after 13 months.

It has announced reforms in the energy sector and is negotiating with Egypt and Jordan over gas and electricity supplies via Syria.

Iraq has also agreed to deliver oil in return for medical aid.

bbr / dpa / AFP

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2021-10-10

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