On Thursday, an altercation occurred on the highway in front of a gas station in Byblos. One car blocked the narrow opening on the highway and caused complete traffic congestion for more than 1 km.
One local stated that she is worried over her life every time she has to refill her car with gas, citing the rampant and random violence at gas stations as a serious source of worry and caution.
This brawl was not merely a problem for those waiting for gas, but it also blocked the road for those driving on the highway.
Lebanon’s worsening fuel crisis is now further aggravated by the recent decision to reportedly lift fuel subsidies completely. It is estimated that the price of 20 liters of gasoline will exceed 300,000 LBP, which is the equivalent of around half of the current minimum wage in Lebanon.
This can lead to catastrophic circumstances in addition to those already happening in the country. The increasing fights over gasoline at the stations this week became more prevalent, and, on one occasion, it caused the death of two people.
Lebanon seems to be currently facing a serious case of the notorious “Waiting For Godot.” In Lebanon’s case, Godot takes many forms, and fuel appears to be one of them.
Fuel seems to never arrive, especially this week with Riad Salameh, the governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), declaring that BDL can no longer subsidize fuel.
This announcement caused most gas stations in Lebanon to close temporarily amidst the uncertainty of the situation. The fuel subsidies are set to go away, but the fuel shortage is far from over and the fuel crisis is becoming more and more debilitating.
