Fuel shortage in Lebanon brings life to standstill

The economic collapse that has caused Lebanese mounting hardship for two years hit a crunch point this month with fuel shortages paralyzing even essential services and miles-long queues forming at gas stations with little or no petrol to sell.

The economic collapse that has caused the Lebanese extreme hardships for two years hit a crunch point this month with fuel shortages paralyzing even essential services and miles-long queues forming at gas stations with little or no petrol to sell. Credit: Reuters Photo

Lebanese fuel prices soared by up to 70 percent on August 22 after yet another subsidy cut, official figures showed, heaping more pressure on people struggling to make ends meet in the cash-strapped country. Credit: Reuters Photo

The cost of hydrocarbons in Lebanon has now roughly tripled in the two months since the central bank started decreasing its support for imports. Credit: Reuters Photo

The latest cut, which is expected to cause price hikes for other key commodities, hits a Mediterranean country mired in one of the world's worst economic crises since the 1850s. Credit: Reuters Photo

Dire shortages have seen Lebanese struggling to find enough fuel to drive to work or power back-up generators during near round-the-clock electricity cuts. Credit: Reuters Photo

Cars queue to fuel up at a gas station in Dora, Lebanon. Credit: Reuters Photo

Frustrations have boiled over in recent weeks, with scuffles repeatedly breaking out over scarce fuel, leaving at least three people dead. Credit: Reuters Photo

A woman reads a book as she waits to get fuel from a gas station, in Jal el-Dib, Lebanon. Credit: Reuters Photo