From Global Risk Insights via OilPrice, July 11:
On the last day of the month, armed protesters took to the streets of Tripoli. They were outraged by the power outages and the story of a child on life support who died due to the failure of the hospital’s backup generator. The protesters fired their guns in the air and threw stones at soldiers until the Lebanese army was deployed to contain the situation. Protesters then stormed the building of the Kadisha Electricity Company, and forced its employees to redirect electricity supplies. Whilst this was happening, the military also had to respond to eight roadblocks in different locations around the country and an armed dispute over the long queue at a petrol station in Deir al-Zahrani, resulting in the injury of 12 people.
Fighting over fuel
Since the beginning of May, many petrol stations have continued to close, with those remaining having put in place fuel limits, as low as LBP 20,000 worth of petrol. Road congestion is not only attributable to the aforementioned roadblocks, but also the immensely long queues at petrol stations, which have forced people to queue overnight. Alarmingly, the shortage of fuel is now linked to daily reports of shooting and fights over whose turn it is to fill up their tank. Over June, even private generators have been rationed due to the lack of diesel fuel, with 4 hours/day of electricity suspended. The smuggling of subsidized goods from Lebanon to Syria, which is already reportedly costing the Lebanese economy USD 15 million per day, is a large contributor to these shortages. Attempts to curb smuggling have led to gunfights between the military and heavily armed smugglers such as in Ras Baalbek on the 12th June....
....MUCH MORE
