Algeria steps up: Fuel aid to Lebanon amid power crisis
Algeria announced that the country would immediately begin supplying Lebanon with fuel for power plants. A day earlier, Lebanon's state energy company declared that all reserves had been depleted.
2:22 PM EDT, August 18, 2024
Algerian state radio announced that the country would promptly start supplying fuel to Lebanon, which is necessary to operate power plants there. Algeria's decision was made after Lebanon's state energy company, Electricite du Liban (EDL), stated a day earlier that all available fuel reserves had been used up.
Lebanon has no resources to generate electricity
EDL noted that due to the lack of fuel, it would be forced to stop supplying electricity to its customers. As reported by Reuters, this also applies to critical infrastructure, such as airports.
Reuters also recalled that Lebanon has not had a full 24-hour power supply since the 1990s. Transfers from the state budget aimed at covering EDL's “chronic losses” have contributed to increasing the country's enormous debt.
EDL informed about the complete suspension of electricity supplies and assured that deliveries would be gradually resumed as soon as fuel supplies are ensured. For example, this could happen through barter exchange.
The Lebanese liquidity crisis began five years ago. Since then, the Lebanese lira has lost over 98 percent of its value, and the annual inflation rate last year was around 221 percent. In recent months, household electricity was supplied for about an hour daily.
After EDL announced the power supply suspension, the Lebanese news portal "L'Orient de Jour" reported that the water company also announced problems. Due to the difficult situation, it will be unable to supply sufficient water. As a result, it appealed to citizens for maximum conservation. "Citizens are advised to take immediate precautions and limit water usage until further notice," the company stated.
