LEBANON-HEATWAVE/RUBBISH Garbage crisis and power cuts spark outrage among Lebanese

Record ID: 144330

  • Title: LEBANON-HEATWAVE/RUBBISH Garbage crisis and power cuts spark outrage among Lebanese
  • Date: 11th August 2015
  • Summary: BAABDA, MOUNT LEBANON (AUGUST 10, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING FROM BURNING PILE OF GARBAGE ON SIDE OF STREET VARIOUS OF CARS DRIVING PAST PILES OF TRASH AND CONTAINERS ON SIDE OF STREET BEIRUT, LEBANON (AUGUST 10, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE NEWSPAPER SELLER, NAIM SALEH, SAYING: "The country is truly at its worst situation. The deep political division is reflected in all the state institutions to a point where corruption is being legalized, in addition to the garbage and electricity crises. Problems are piling up, where to next?" BAABDA, MOUNT LEBANON (AUGUST 10, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC DRIVING PAST PILE OF TRASH ON STREET SIDE BEIRUT, LEBANON (AUGUST 10, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, ALI, SAYING: "I hope they elect a president so that all these issues can be solved including the electricity and garbage crises." VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC DRIVING PAST EMPTY GARBAGE CONTAINERS IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CAB DRIVER, ELIAS ASSAF, SAYING: "Our houses are disturbed, people are passing out. Everything in our fridge is going to waste. There are people with respiratory problems who may die if there is no fan or ventilation in the house. have everything, they do not care about anyone else." MAN CROSSING ROAD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SITTING INSIDE AIR-CONDITIONED COFFEE SHOP AIR CONDITIONER IN COFFEE SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, SALWAN AL-MOUGHRABY, SAYING: "It is very hot. It is hot all over the world but, in all over the world, people have something to cool the heat down and ease things, and there are ways to help them bare the heat, while here we have no substitutes. There is no electricity, and the way they (officials) deal with issues - whether it is electricity or other problems - is affecting people in a negative way. People can't bare this anymore." BEIRUT, LEBANON (AUGUST 8, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERING DURING A PROTEST IN MARTYR'S SQUARE VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS AND CHANTING SLOGANS MORE OF THE PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE WRITER AND DIRECTOR, LUCIEN BOURJEILY, ONE OF THE PROTEST ORGANIZERS, SAYING: "The movement today, entitled 'You Stink', speaks for itself, it means politicians stink. Honestly, we are fed up of staying at home waiting for things to change, nothing will change while we sit at home. We, as Lebanese citizens, need to live in a country that has the minimum of services and things that make us live with dignity and under a law. So we decided to go on the streets and invite those who think like us to join us and demand a solution to the garbage that is spread in the streets along other issues, like electricity, water shortages, road constructions, and anything else that we lack.. and of course the (parliament) extension which we are against." PROTESTERS CHEERING/ CARRYING PLACARDS BANNER READING (Arabic) 'YOU STINK IN DEALS AND IN GARBAGE. YOU HAVE ENTERED GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS' MORE OF PROTESTERS WITH PLACARDS READING 'TFEH' (Arabic slang said when something is disgusting) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE COMEDIAN ACTRESS, PATRICIA DAGHER, SAYING: "I hope they (politicians) have some sort of feelings so that they would resign because the way they are leading us in is shameful. We have a country in which we were always proud of, now there are piles of garbage in every corner, it is a shame that this is happening during the summer touristic season. The garbage reflects their (politicians') image more than ours. If they gave us the chance to elect, there wouldn't be that much of garbage, maybe much less." PROTESTERS GATHERING/LEBANESE PATRIOTIC SONGS BEING PLAYED BANNER READING (Arabic) 'SECTARIANISM AND SELFISHNESS IS GARBAGE LEFT IN OUR MINDS. #TOWARDS_A_NEW_REPUBLIC' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE CITIZEN, MOUSTAFA YAMOUT, SAYING: "The problem became way bigger than the current proposed solutions. The solutions are the same, they should think about other solutions." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED AROUND MARTYRS' STATUE
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9S6A8FD6B10KJ16Z6UAPLK739
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As the temperature soars in Lebanon, mounting piles of garbage festering in the summer heat is a stark reminder of the crisis of government afflicting the country.
    For lack of state planning, the tip at Naameh south of Beirut had already been kept open well beyond its planned closure date. The date set for its final closure - July 17 - was known, but the authorities had no ready alternative when the day came, leading to rubbish piling up on the streets.
    Lebanese Environment Minister Mohamad Al Machnouk announced on July 27 the immediate start of garbage collections from Beirut's streets but said no agreement on dumping rubbish outside the capital would be reached without the consent of local residents.
    Several protests took place in Beirut's main commercial centre and near the seat of government, with protesters burning hundreds of trash bins.
    But the garbage is not the only crisis facing Lebanon.
    The weak state has long been criticized for failing to develop the country and its infrastructure. Beirut still suffers daily power cuts some 25 years since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
    But government has been particularly poor since the eruption of the war in neighbouring Syria. That conflict has exacerbated Lebanon's political divisions, often along sectarian lines that reflect the Syrian conflict.
    The presidency has been vacant for more than a year, and parliament elected in 2009 has extended its own term and postponed elections until 2017 on the grounds of instability.
    On the streets of Beirut, citizens expressed their outrage over the ''worsening'' situation in their country.
    "The country is truly at its worst situation. The deep political division is reflected in all the state institutions to a point where corruption is being legalized, in addition to the garbage and electricity crises. Problems are piling up, where to next?, said Lebanese citizen Naim Salem.
    "I hope they elect a president so that all these issues can be solved including the electricity and garbage crises," said Lebanese citizen Ali.
    "Our houses are disturbed, people are passing out. Everything in our fridge is going to waste. There are people with respiratory problems who may die if there is no fan or ventilation in the house. They (referring to officials) have everything, they do not care about anyone else," said Lebanese cab driver citizen Elias Assaf.
    Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper quoted on Monday (August 10) the country's state-run electricity company saying 'a broken gas unit at a major power plant which had left large parts of the country without electricity since last month has been fixed'.
    But the recent power cuts along with the summer heatwave are leaving residents frustrated.
    Thirty-year-old Salwan Al-Moughraby, said he moved his work to a an air-conditioned public coffee shop because of the continuous power cuts in his office.
    "It is very hot. It is hot all over the world but, in all over the world, people have something to cool the heat down and ease things, and there are ways to help them bare the heat, while here we have no substitutes. There is no electricity, and the way they (officials) deal with issues - whether it is electricity or other problems - is affecting people in a negative way. People can't bare this anymore," he said.
    Al-Moughraby was one of the hundreds of people who took the streets on Saturday (August 8) to demand a permanent and clear solution for the trash crisis in Lebanon.
    "The movement today, entitled 'You Stink', speaks for itself, it means politicians stink. Honestly, we are fed up of staying at home waiting for things to change, nothing will change while we sit at home. We, as Lebanese citizens, need to live in a country that has the minimum of services and things that make us live with dignity and under a law. So we decided to go on the streets and invite those who think like us to join us and demand a solution to the garbage that is spread in the streets along other issues, like electricity, water shortages, road constructions, and anything else that we lack.. and of course the (parliament) extension which we are against," explained Lebanese writer and director Lucien Bourjeily who was one of those behind the campaign.
    'You Stink' campaign has gained a popular response on social media since the beginning of the trash crisis and triggered citizens to tackle many other problems facing the country.
    Many took the chance to criticise Lebanese politicians who extended their own terms and have been unable to elect a president.
    "I hope they (politicians) have some sort of feelings so that they would resign because the way they are leading us in is shameful. We have a country in which we were always proud of, now there are piles of garbage in every corner, it is a shame that this is happening during the summer touristic season. The garbage reflects their (politicians') image more than ours. If they gave us the chance to elect, there wouldn't be that much of garbage, maybe much less," said Lebanese comedian and actress Patricia Dagher, who joined the protest in Downtown Beirut's martyrs' square on Saturday afternoon.
    "The problem became way bigger than the current proposed solutions. The solutions are the same, they should think about other solutions," said another Lebanese protester, Moustafa Yamout.
    A government of national unity has maintained a semblance of central authority and helped to contain sectarian tensions.
    But it is limping along at best leaving most Lebanese frustrated about their country and its future.
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