August 2021

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/31/2021

Posted on August 31, 2021August 31, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

UNIFIL Mandate Extended With Extra Provision for Lebanese Army
Yesterday evening the UN Security Council extended the mandate for UNIFIL for another year through Resolution 1701. The Security Council adopted the 2591 decision, which adds exceptional measures including logistical support for the Lebanese army and supplies of fuel, food, and medicine for six months. [The 961]

Major General Abbas Ibrahim Leads Government Mediation Efforts
Yesterday in an effort to break political deadlock, head of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim led mediation efforts between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati. Envoys from the two leaders shuttled back and forth between Baabda Palace and Miqati’s Beirut residence with lists of proposed candidates for key ministries, sources say. [The Daily Star] Hezbollah encouraged Ibrahim’s efforts to break the deadlock. [Naharnet]

Flour Millers’ Association Warns Production Will Cease Without Fuel
Today Lebanon’s flour millers’ association said in a statement that fuel shortages are threatening to halt bread production.The association called on Lebanese officials to “work quickly before it is too late” and that mills’ fuel oil supply has run out and production could cease as early as today. [Reuters]

Gas Station in Flames in Bcharre District
Last night a loud explosion was heard in Lebanon’s northern district of Bcharre, followed by a gas station in Hadath al-Jebbe going up in flames. Civil defense teams put out the fire and security forces are investigating the incident. [Al Arabiya]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Carnegie Middle East Center
Lebanon Needs an Emergency Stabilization Program
Amer Bisat

Bisat writes, “While a comprehensive reform plan will eventually be necessary, the country needs to immediately arrest its collapse. The nation’s fabric is effectively being torn apart. The economy is in a depression, inflation is startlingly high, the currency is imploding, there are widespread shortages in basic goods, the health system is failing, emigration is accelerating, civil disorder is rampant, and the Lebanese people are witnessing an alarming rise in sectarian tensions. Due to all of this, it is necessary to introduce an emergency stabilization program (ESP) that seeks to achieve basic—some would say rudimentary—objectives. These include ending the economic depression and injecting much-needed capital into the economy, reducing shortages of basic goods, bringing back core government services, stabilizing the currency, and controlling inflation. For this to be successful, the ESP must be politically feasible, simple enough to be rolled out quickly—in as short a period as one hundred days—and must show immediate results.”

Read more here

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/30/2021

Posted on August 30, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

Fuel Dispute Leads to Clashes in Southern Lebanon
The Lebanese army was deployed to southern Lebanon over the weekend after a fuel dispute erupted between Shia and Christian villages of Maghdouche and Ankoun. Around six people were wounded. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri denied accusations of Amal’s involvement in the incident. [Reuters] The area is reportedly calm today after the army’s intervention. [Naharnet]

Nasrallah Announces Third Fuel Shipment From Iran
On Friday Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah announced in a speech that the group has agreed to a third vessel of fuel from Iran. The first vessel of Iranian fuel that was said to have already departed has yet to reach Lebanon, but Nasrallah suggested it would arrive in the coming days. Prime Minister-designate Nijab Miqati said he was against the move, but also asked for help so that Lebanon would not have to resort to fuel deals with Iran. [Al Jazeera]

Miqati’s Government Formation Deadline Expires
Prime Minister-designate Nijab Miqati reached the deadline he set for himself to form a government at the end of last week. Sources say he is ready to resign as early as Wednesday if obstacles to forming a cabinet cannot be resolved. Miqati and President Michel Aoun continue to differ over cabinet assignments for key ministries. [The Daily Star] The prime minister-designate is reportedly waiting for further pressure from France to push Aoun towards agreement. [Naharnet]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Do You Believe in Miracles? Lebanon Needs a Basketful
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “Pray for a miracle, of course. Or a basketful, starting with increasing bank liquidity without greater inflation. Instituting cash cards would enable more Lebanese to purchase basic goods. Ending the current subsidies regime would remove pricing distortions. Repairing the loss of morale and living standards of the LAF and ISF troops along with their recommitment to protecting civil and human rights. Steps should be taken to curb corruption and recapture funds illegally transferred out of the country. Political reforms are also needed to diminish the power of the ruling elites, while banking reforms should be aimed at consolidation and transparency. Not to mention free and fair elections in 2022. These would make a great start.”

Read more here

LCPS Podcast Alternative Frequencies
Can Lebanon’s Banks Survive the Financial Crisis? What Would a Rescue Plane Look Like?
Jean Riachi

How did Lebanese banks go from being the crown jewel of the economy to become what is being referred to as “zombie banks”? Can the sector recover on its own or does it need a complete overhaul? And, most importantly, what is the fate of the billions of dollars in deposits? Join Jean Riachi, the founder and CEO of FFA Private Bank, as he explains to Alternative Frequencies host Bilal El-Amine how the banking sector collapsed and what it will take to save it.

Listen here

This Week In Lebanon: 8/28/2021

Posted on August 28, 2021August 30, 2021 by admin2

August 28, 2021
US House Reps Urge Temporary Protected Status
Lebanon to Release World Bank Loan to Families in Dollars
Response to Brief on Beirut Port Reconstruction

US House Representatives Urge Temporary Protected Status Designation for Lebanon
House Representatives Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib are urging the Biden administration to designate Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS would protect Lebanese people in the US from being deported on humanitarian grounds and allow Lebanese nationals on temporary visas to live and work in the US as Lebanon slips further into chaos. Dingell and Tlaib are circulating a letter in Congress to be sent to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. [Al Jazeera]

RESPONSE

“Given the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, the US should have contingency plans in place in case emergency measures are needed with short notice. TPS or DED could be one of the most useful means to helping Lebanese who are stranded in the US and have no immediate assurance for their safe return to Lebanon. It’s a measure President Biden can enact quickly that would provide thousands of Lebanese with temporary relief until it’s safe to go home.”

-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel

Lebanon to Release World Bank Loan to Poor Families in US Dollars
On Monday, Lebanon’s government agreed to release tens of thousands of cash assistance in US dollars to poor families from the World Bank. The money comes from a $246 million loan from the World Bank that was originally approved by Lebanon in March, but was held up because Lebanon’s parliament insisted on issuing the funds to families in Lebanese pounds instead of dollars. The loan is meant to help over 160,000 families in Lebanon. [AP]

RESPONSE

“After finding no easy way to circumvent World Bank standards for a proposed cash card program, Parliament has finally agreed to provide assistance to around 786,000 individuals through a prepaid electronic card. While this is good news for those in need, it once again shows the venality of members of Parliament and their allies who had blocked approval, hoping to benefit from a distorted exchange rate to enlarge their coffers. Some $200 million will be distributed via the cards leaving another $46 million to be negotiated. It was earmarked to improve the identification of beneficiaries and monitoring mechanisms for the distribution. We’ll see if the government can dodge that requirement as well. Still don’t know what the exchange rate will be for these fresh dollars via the electronic cards.”

-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader

Analytical Brief

The Race to Reset the Middle East’s Maritime Map by Michaël Tanchum
In an analytical brief on port construction in the Eastern Mediterranean, Professor Michaël Tanchum discusses the international competition to rebuild Beirut’s port one year after the blast. With growing interest from China in the port, Tanchum suggests that “the most effective way to offset China’s ambition may be to facilitate Mediterranean rivals France and Turkey to jointly rebuild Beirut’s port.” [Middle East Institute]

RESPONSE

“While most of the attention focused on the Eastern Mediterranean is on gas exploration and exploitation, and Lebanon’s inability to coherently formulate an energy strategy, Chinese encroachment in the region, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, continues to advance from the Red Sea to the Mediterraneanreaching North Africa and Italy. The article does a very good job of linking Chinese ambitions to those of others in the region, indicating that the race for influence over the area is just heating up. Hope the US works with its partners in the EU and the GCC to limit China’s ambitions to commercial links.”

-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/27/2021

Posted on August 27, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

General Security Head Warns of Great Collapse
Yesterday in a message to the General Security staff, Major-General Abbas Ibrahim warned that Lebanon’s state institutions are being undermined by a “great collapse.” While acknowledging the effect the crisis has had on General Security personnel, he encouraged staff to remain steadfast and to protect their country and their people. [Al Jazeera]

Miqati and Aoun to Meet Again After Yesterday’s Negative Talks
Yesterday, Prime Minister-designate Miqati was expected to give his final cabinet lineup to President Michel Aoun. Reports from Baabda are saying that meeting did not go well and was overall described as negative. The two leaders are expected to meet again today. [Naharnet]

Parliament Says Bitar Cannot Issue Diab a Subpoena
Yesterday, head of the domestic Beirut blast investigation Judge Tarek Bitar issued a subpoena for caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab after he failed to show up for questioning. [Reuters] Today, Lebanon’s parliament told the judge that issuing a subpoena to the caretaker prime minister is outside of his powers. Bitar originally issued a request to question Diab in July along side other top officials. No senior officials have yet been brought to account for last year’s blast. [Reuters]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Do You Believe in Miracles? Lebanon Needs a Basketful
Jean AbiNader

Read more here

Do You Believe in Miracles? Lebanon Needs a Basketful

Posted on August 27, 2021 by admin

There are plenty of signs that Lebanon is slipping deeper into chaos and has become a first class catastrophe for its people. While those with access to dollars party and go to clubs, as you’ll see on Instagram and TikTok, the great majority of the Lebanese and the more than 1.5 million refugees suffer from living simultaneously in food, power, medical care, and services deserts. Until recently, I was unfamiliar with the terminology of “desert” being applied to food and other scarce essentials, but now it is a constant label for the quality of life in Lebanon and elsewhere, even in the United States.

Another terminology that has changed is the categorization of a failed state. It now reflects criteria ranking degrees of “fragile and conflicted situations.” Lebanon is in the category of high institutional and social fragility, which is more accurate than calling it a failed state. A “failed state” means that physical conflict exists and the national government no longer controls its borders, although some would argue the degree to which sovereignty exists in Lebanon.

The World Bank rates the situation in Lebanon today worse than the crisis in Greece in 2008 and Argentina in 2001, yet both of those caused major upheavals to the political leadership. The staying power of the ruling elite in Lebanon is attributed to many factors: the enduring sectarian ethos, Hezbollah’s threatening presence, the failure of sectarian political opposition to form a credible alternative free from the same charges of corruption and malfeasance or at least complicity, the pandemic, and the slow pace of developing an effective civil society movement for change.

While much as been written about the oligarchs and Hezbollah (the mafia and the militia), the lack of a mobilized private sector and professional association opposition is clearly a factor in the ongoing inertia and decay. Many of those running the banking, construction, telecommunications, fuel, transportation, waste management, and related sectors all benefit from their interrelated links with the government. These officials and many in the private sector are in lockstep, despite recent changes in leadership in some of the professional and union groups.

Sadly, the latest prognosis is that it may take between 12 and 19 years for Lebanon to recover depending on when and how reforms are instituted. If Lebanon started to undertake credible talks with the IMF and had an action program in place by the fall, it might still rank behind Chile, which took 16 years to recover from its 1926 crisis. And what are the Lebanese and the refugees to do in the meantime?

Pray for a miracle, of course. Or a basketful, starting with increasing bank liquidity without greater inflation. Instituting cash cards would enable more Lebanese to purchase basic goods. Ending the current subsidies regime would remove pricing distortions. Repairing the loss of morale and living standards of the LAF and ISF troops along with their recommitment to protecting civil and human rights. Steps should be taken to curb corruption and recapture funds illegally transferred out of the country. Political reforms are also needed to diminish the power of the ruling elites, while banking reforms should be aimed at consolidation and transparency. Not to mention free and fair elections in 2022. These would make a great start.

No wonder the World Bank says 12 -19 years to recover. “Start the incense, Sitti (my grandmother).” It may be our only salvation.

Let’s pray for those miracles.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon.

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/26/2021

Posted on August 26, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

MTV Interview with Ambassador Edward M. Gabriel
In an interview with MTV yesterday, ATFL President Ed Gabriel reviewed current negotiations with JCPOA and noted that Lebanon will not be addressed in the talks right now. He also referenced efforts that the United States is making to help Lebanon, including $100 million in aid to be distributed through NGOs and multilateral agencies, letters of support and resolutions currently circulating in the US Congress, and added diplomatic pressure from the US and France on Lebanese politicians to form a government. [MTV]

CORRECTION: Part of Ambassador Gabriel’s interview was erroneously translated in Arabic. In his interview he suggested that given the time difference, if LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun had the opportunity to listen to his interview he would confirm what Ambassador Gabriel said, that the US has recently provided important aid to Lebanon. The Arabic translation misconstrues Ambassador Gabriel’s comments with regard to President Michel Aoun. No where in his interview did he refer to the president.

Miqati and Aoun to Meet Today After Postponed Meeting
Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati planned to visit Baabda yesterday to submit his final cabinet lineup, but his meeting with President Michel Aoun was cancelled. The meeting was rescheduled for today and the two are expected to meet shortly. [Naharnet] Miqati said that he will not accept any changes, even if that means he must resign. Reports say that US-French pressure pushed Aoun to give up on insisting on certain “provocative” candidates. [Naharnet]

Lebanese Army Deployed Troops to the North
Violence in northern Lebanon this week has resulted in the deaths of two men. Heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades were used among rival groups’ fighting between the villages of Akkar al-Atiqa and Fnaidek yesterday. The Lebanese army deployed troops today to the area. [Reuters]

Bitar Issues Subpoena for Caretaker PM Diab
Judge Tarek Bitar, head of the Beirut blast investigation, has issued a subpoena for caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab after Diab failed to show up for questioning. the prime minister’s session is postponed to September 20. In July, Bitar had requested to question Diab and other top officials that have been given immunity. Bitar and other Lebanese protesters are calling for the immunities given to government officials to be lifted. [Reuters]

Emirates to Allow Extra Baggage For Those Traveling to Beirut
According to a statement released yesterday, Emirates airline will provide extra baggage for those traveling to Beirut starting this week until September 30, 2021. The offer is meant to allow customers to bring essential goods and medicines to friends and family in Beirut as Lebanon faces severe shortages. [Emirates]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Interzine
Renewable Energy in Lebanon Will Save Lives
Adnan Nasser

Nasser writes, “Lebanon is a top candidate for renewable energy. It possesses an abundance of natural resources and is blessed with climate advantages, such as 300 days of sun and enormous wind energy potential. Hydropower is Lebanon’s oldest form of alternative energy, and provided most of its electricity in the pre-civil war years. Most of the hydro plants were constructed during Lebanon’s “Golden Age,” during which the country produced an impressive 75% of its electricity from water. The Golden Age, however, is long gone. In 2010, hydroelectricity made up just 6.1% of Lebanon’s power grid. In response, people have demonstrated outside the energy ministry to protest the incompetence of their government. With no hope in sight, the Lebanese people are taking matters into their own hands by staging street protests…People do not have an infinite amount of time to sit around waiting for change. The Lebanese are in no mood to be told they must be more patient. Ultimately, a new course of action focused on green policy that sidelines the government must be taken to rescue Lebanon from its current state of collapse.”

Read more here

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/25/2021

Posted on August 25, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

Miqati to Submit a Final Cabinet Lineup Today
It is expected that Prime Minister-designate Miqati will submit a final lineup of 24 cabinet ministers to President Michel Aoun today [Naharnet]. Miqati said that he will not accept any changes, even if that means he must resign. Reports say that US-French pressure pushed Aoun to give up on insisting on certain “provocative” candidates. [Naharnet]

Lebanon to Release World Bank Loan to Poor Families in US Dollars
On Monday Lebanon’s government agreed to release tens of thousands of cash assistance in US dollars to poor families from the World Bank. The money comes from a $246 million loan from the World Bank that was originally approved by Lebanon in March, but held up because Lebanon’s parliament insisted on issuing assistance to families in Lebanese pounds instead of dollars. The loan is meant to help over 160,000 families in Lebanon. [AP]

Lebanese Government Signs Contract with Alvarez & Marsal
Today caretaker Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni signed a contract with Alvarez & Marsal so that the company can begin a full forensic audit of the Central Bank. The group was paid $150,000 last week by the government to conduct the audit. Upon signing the contract, Alvarez said it would file its first preliminary report in 12 weeks. [The Daily Star]

Illegally Hoarded Medicines Found in Warehouses Near Sidon
Two warehouses full of hoarded medicines were found near Sidon Monday night by officials. Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan and security forces inspected the warehouses and found illegally hoarded medical items including lifesaving medicines and infant formulas. The warehouses were sealed overnight and then opened yesterday morning to local pharmacists and the general public for proper distribution. [The Daily Star]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Momentum Growing to Obtain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanese Nationals in the US
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, “As the World Bank has indicted, Lebanon is experiencing one of the top three worst economic disasters worldwide since the mid-19th century. UNICEF has raised the alarm about the rapid decline in access to safe water, and UNESCO has chronicled the demise of the educational sector. The indicators are clear, but international efforts to pressure the government to reform continue with no impact. Obtaining TPS and DED are tactics to protect those abroad who can, at an appropriate time, return to Lebanon and aid in its healing and reconstruction. Given the asylum demands for Afghans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and many others from China, Hong Kong, Russia, Iraq, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, it is important to mobilize in support TPS and DED for Lebanese in the US if attention is to be paid to this issue. No one can deny that since the first Lebanese immigrants arrived in the US in the late 1800s, the community has made a constructive and worthy contribution to this country. Despite the hardline anti-immigration position held by many in the US, this is still a cause worth supporting.”

Read more here

Washington Report On Middle East Affairs
Lebanon in the Midst of an Economic and Political Spiral
Dale Sprusansky

Sprusansky writes, “One year after a deadly blast ripped through Beirut’s port, Lebanon is in a state of disarray. The country has been without an official government for more than a year, and its economy is in shambles, with a critical lack of fuel and food leaving Lebanon’s citizens in a state of desperation and exasperation. On Aug. 5, the American Task Force on Lebanon held a virtual event to discuss the deteriorating situation in the country. US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea noted that Washington recently released $98 million in new humanitarian assistance to the country and is working to foster political and economic breakthroughs. However, she emphasized that only so much can be done by the international community in the absence of a functioning government in Beirut…UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka noted that the average household’s food bills now cost five times the monthly minimum wage. Resources are also scarce. ‘None of this is due to war or a natural disaster, the people are paying the price for their leaders’ inaction,’ she said.”

Read more here

Momentum Growing to Obtain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanese Nationals in US

Posted on August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by admin

Lebanon’s woeful conditions are pushing many to leave the country. They have had enough of the impending crash of the Lebanese economy due to government mismanagement, the deterioration in the health, education, and services sectors, the collapse of the banking sector, and the vastly diminished value of the Lebanese currency which are forcing many Lebanese to emigrate as an interim solution. There are currently about 30,000 Lebanese in the US on non-resident visas, as tourists, students, and work interns. It is proposed that assigning them Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would give them the opportunity to stay in the US for a specified period of time if conditions in Lebanon are deemed unsafe for their return.

Previously, this has been done for Syrians and others whose homes are in conflict zones, subject to lawlessness and terrorism, and with no effective governmental authority. There are a number of groups rallying community organizations and policy makers on this issue, sending letters to the Biden Administration in support of designating Lebanese in the US with TPS status. Another option being pursued is a Delayed Enforced Departure (DED) status, which is a benefit authorized at the discretion of the President that allows certain individuals to live and work in the United States for a designated period of time.

TPS and DED have been essential programs for protecting those residing in the US from returning to an unsafe environment with threatening political and security conditions. It allows those whose visas are expiring to remain in the US with permission to work for the duration of the designation, which can be extended. This protects them from the threat of deportation. The President of the United States has the discretion to designate countries or regions for DED as part of the president’s power to conduct foreign relations. The president generally grants DED, which has no statutory basis, by issuing a presidential directive through an executive order or presidential memorandum.

There are some who say that Lebanon may be economically and politically distressed but is far from anarchy and desperation and specific life-threatening threats to certain groups or individuals. Many would disagree with that assessment, particularly the Lebanese themselves and those who have visited the country this summer. Nothing can be assumed to be functioning, from the lack of electricity and fuel, to the shortage of potable water and essential products, to the out of control currency, and the constant intimidating presence of Hezbollah virtually and physically in most areas of the country.

With Afghanistan in mind, some Lebanese commentators are trying to make the analogy that Lebanon can also be overrun and threatened with militia rule, but that assumes the LAF will collapse and the US will stand down, assessments which I believe are far off the mark.

Here is a chart comparing the TPS and DED designations.

There is no doubt that Lebanon is in crisis, its people under threat, and its economy and government not soon to be reformed and functional. Lebanon’s woes are well known, and living there has become “hell” according to some, and many would agree. It’s not just the physical strain, but the psychological trauma of living in a country that has literally dissolved in terms of its operations, with a political structure unwilling to intervene, hoping that delays will further entrench their abilities to despoil what is left of the state.

As the World Bank has indicted, Lebanon is experiencing one of the top three worst economic disasters worldwide since the mid-19th century. UNICEF has raised the alarm about the rapid decline in access to safe water, and UNESCO has chronicled the demise of the educational sector. The indicators are clear, but international efforts to pressure the government to reform continue with no impact. Obtaining TPS and DED are tactics to protect those abroad who can, at an appropriate time, return to Lebanon and aid in its healing and reconstruction.

Given the asylum demands for Afghans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and many others from China, Hong Kong, Russia, Iraq, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, it is important to mobilize in support TPS and DED for Lebanese in the US if attention is to be paid to this issue. No one can deny that since the first Lebanese immigrants arrived in the US in the late 1800s, the community has made a constructive and worthy contribution to this country. Despite the hardline anti-immigration position held by many in the US, this is still a cause worth supporting.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon.

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/24/2021

Posted on August 24, 2021August 26, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

Miqati to Submit a Final Cabinet Lineup
Today or tomorrow at the latest Prime Minister-designate Miqati will submit a final lineup of 24 cabinet ministers to President Michel Aoun. Miqati said that he will not accept any changes, even if that means he must resign. Reports say that US-French pressure pushed Aoun to give up on insisting on certain “provocative” candidates. [Naharnet]

Lebanon to Release World Bank Loan to Poor Families in US Dollars
Yesterday Lebanon’s government agreed to release tens of thousands of cash assistance in US dollars to poor families from the World Bank. The money comes from a $246 million loan from the World Bank that was originally approved by Lebanon in March, but held up because Lebanon’s parliament insisted on issuing assistance to families in Lebanese pounds instead of dollars. The loan is meant to help over 160,000 families in Lebanon. [AP]

Illegally Hoarded Medicines Found in Warehouses Near Sidon
Two warehouses full of hoarded medicines were found near Sidon last night by officials. Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan and security forces inspected the warehouses and found illegally hoarded medical items including lifesaving medicines and infant formulas. The warehouses were sealed overnight and then opened this morning to local pharmacists and the general public for proper distribution. [The Daily Star]

Hospitals Run Low on Fuel, Medicine, and Staff
Hospitals in Lebanon are running low on fuel, medicine, and staff. This year at least 2,500 doctors and nurses have left Lebanon over the country’s dire conditions. With major power cuts, hospitals have had to rely more on generators, which they struggle to keep on amid severe fuel shortages. Hospitals are also running low on medicines, including those critical for cancer patients and dialysis. Amid deteriorating conditions and another COVID-19 surge, Lebanon’s hospitals are reaching a breaking point. [AP]

Find out how to help Lebanon’s hospitals through the Lebanon Relief Project.

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Momentum Growing to Obtain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanese Nationals in the US
Jean AbiNader

Read more here

Lebanon Daily News Brief 8/23/2021

Posted on August 23, 2021 by admin2

DAILY NEWS

Lebanon’s Government Reduces Fuel Subsidies
Over the weekend at an emergency meeting Lebanon’s government decided to raise fuel prices in an effort to reduce fuel subsides. The new exchange rate does not completely remove subsidies, but raises the price from 3,900 pounds to the dollar to 8,000 pounds to the dollar. The unofficial market rate is closer to 20,000 pounds to the dollar. [Al Jazeera]

Nasrallah Says Another Vessel of Iranian Fuel to Set Sail Soon
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday that another ship carrying Iranian fuel will set sail from Iran to Lebanon shortly. Last week he announced that the first ship would would set sail Thursday night, and the group says it already has. Political opponents have expressed concern over the consequences of receiving Iranian fuel, saying that it puts Lebanon at risk of sanctions. [Reuters]

UNICEF Warns Lebanese Are Losing Access to Clean Water
UNICEF warned in a statement recently that 4 million Lebanese might lose access to clean water if immediate action is not taken. The statement said that a number of hospitals have already lost access and have had to use contaminated water. In July, UNICEF warned of the possibility that 71 percent could lose access to clean water by the end of summer. [The 961]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Middle East Institute
Hezbollah, American, and the race to supply Lebanon with power
Christophe Abi-Nassif and Jessica Obeid

Abi-Nassif and Obeid write, “By striking first, Nasrallah has forced the United States into reactive diplomacy mode and left Washington with two inconvenient and awkward options. Because of the magnitude of Lebanon’s humanitarian disaster and the Lebanese government’s inability to get its act together to resolve the fuel shortages, the U.S. may choose to overlook the alleged fuel imports. Regardless of whether the ships dock in Lebanon (serious) or Syria (less serious), this option risks making the U.S. seem inconsistent and in violation of its own rules of imposing sanctions on countries that deal with Iran. Alternatively, Washington could press forward with imposing sanctions on Lebanon. By doing so, however, it would reinforce the conspiracy theory, espoused by Hezbollah and embraced by the Free Patriotic Movement, that Lebanon’s woes are a direct result of a U.S.-led economic embargo on the country. The two options assume that events such as Israeli military action or sabotage — factors that Nasrallah warned against as part of Hezbollah’s deterrence equation — will not take place.”

Read more here

Rusted Radishes: Beirut Literary and Art Journal
The Blast
Eveline Hitti

Hitti writes, “Across the city that night, medical teams had put aside their own loss and fears, gallantly hurling themselves into action. Demolished hospitals were evacuated. Flooded EDs were emptied. Operating rooms ran without reprieve. Decisions were made amidst unimaginable constraints. Physical wounds were closed, and moral ones opened. Today, almost six months post-Blast, the scars on my colleagues’ faces are barely noticeable. The displaced doors of our ED are back up on their hinges. The glass panes of my house have been replaced. Our passports are tucked back in the reachable safety of my bedroom drawers. While some wounds heal, others remain painfully visible. Resignations sit on my desk, leaving the line of medical teams facing the now raging pandemic thinned out and weary. For many, distance is the path to recovery. For others, it is clawing on to the promise of meaningful service in the land they were forced to leave once before.”

Read more here