Lebanon’s fuel shortage worsens economic crisis
As smuggling to Syria continues and amid the collapse of the local currency, the Lebanese people are paying the price amid fuel shortages.
BEIRUT — It has been over a month since Lebanese drivers began lining up in their cars for hours to get gasoline amid fuel shortages. This has added to the many crises the Lebanese are already undergoing, leaving them even more wary about their future.
It has become commonplace to see long lines on streets near gas stations and cars stopped along the road because they had run out of fuel. Meanwhile, plastic tanks that had been filled with gasoline and stored in homes have caused fires in residential areas, and there has been at least one incident where a car caught fire, at airport parking June 17.
Gas station workers have become the targets of almost daily attacks, and some stations have closed or only open in the early morning hours, while others have chosen to ration fuel so that more customers can at least get some gas.
A black market has merged where gas and diesel are sold at high prices, and some workers have accepted bribes from drivers seeking extra fuel.
