An assault on one of the country's most important power stations has left the country without electricity once again

Darkness returns to Lebanon

photo_camera beirut-apagones-crisis-libano

Lebanon has once again suffered a national blackout. This time the reason was prompted by a massive demonstration in which protesters demanded a series of measures against the prolonged power cuts. These suspensions have only worsened the current economic and social crisis in the country, which has led to a general feeling of weariness among the population.

It is for this reason that protesters stormed a substation in the town of Aramoun, according to the Lebanese electricity company (EDL).  The company has stated that the protesters broke in "without concern for endangering their personal safety and that of the station's workers" and proceeded to disrupt electrical equipment, affecting the national electricity grid.

barrio-shatil-libano

They also pointed to the importance of the Aramoun main station as a key link between the Al-Zahrani power station, which suffered a serious fire last October, and the rest of the grid.

In the demonstrations, civilians said that electricity is only available "to areas under the authority of the Free Patriotic Movement" while in other areas there is no electricity supply at all, making it an "incubator for opponents of the movement". 

central-elecreica-libano

This irruption caused the population to experience a new "black" episode that once again plunged the country into darkness.  This scenario has been a concatenation of similar situations that have only repeated and intensified, and the country is going through one of its most important crises.

At present, the electricity sector is at rock-bottom. The national electricity grid, unable to supply the entire population, does not have the fuel needed to run the power plants. This is why a few have private generators that allow them to have electricity supply. However, the owners of these generators are finding it increasingly difficult to provide fuel for them. 

libano-manifestantes

In view of this situation, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi expressed his concern about both the economic crisis and the political crisis that the country has been experiencing for years. A conflict that still has no tangible solutions capable of reversing this situation in the long term.

The electricity sector is one of the sectors hardest hit by this crisis. A significant percentage of the population cannot count on electricity supply throughout the day, which impoverishes and worsens the living conditions of civilians. During a Sunday sermon to the rahi, he said that the suspension of the Cabinet is "unacceptable" because "any agreement with the International Monetary Fund requires the approval of the Council of Ministers as a whole".

These statements also come at a time when the Lebanese pound has lost around 95 % of its value against the dollar, further exacerbating the country's abrupt economic crisis.
 

More in Society