Lebanon’s Living Conditions Threaten Security, Put Pressure On Authorities

 Two gas station employees sit next to a gas pump in Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Two gas station employees sit next to a gas pump in Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
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Lebanon’s Living Conditions Threaten Security, Put Pressure On Authorities

 Two gas station employees sit next to a gas pump in Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Two gas station employees sit next to a gas pump in Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Fear mounts in Lebanon over a security breakdown in light of the increasing difficulty to obtain basic materials.

On Sunday, a young man was killed in Akkar during a dispute over the filling of gasoline. The incident prompted a member of the Syndicate of Gas Station Owners, George Bracs, to demand the authorities to provide protection to the owners of stations and their employees during their working hours.

Security sources said that it was difficult for security institutions to prevent accidents and problems arising from obtaining foodstuffs, fuel, or medicine in light of the deteriorating economic conditions. Security bodies are unable to put patrols in front of every store, pharmacy, gas station and hospital, they noted.

Lebanon’s living crisis has imposed a new security scene, as security personnel were forced to be present inside supermarkets to organize sales after a series of disputes over subsidized materials. As with foodstuffs, pharmacies saw an increasing wave of thefts, forcing owners to call for state’s protection, while some hospital workers were exposed to repeated accidents and assaults over paying a bill or finding a bed for a patient.

Member of the Parliamentary Public Health and Social Affairs Committee, MP Bilal Abdullah, said that the recent developments were the natural result of the state’s inability to deal with crises.

“The security breakdown cannot be addressed but by accelerating the formation of a government that quickly sets up a plan to rationalize support and a political and social reform project based on clear priorities,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The rate of murder and theft crimes has increased significantly in Lebanon as a result of the bad economic situation, according to a report published by Information International - an independent research and statistics company.

The report showed an increase in murders during January and February by 45.5 percent compared to the same period last year, according to data from the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces. The percentage of robbery crimes increased in the same period by 144%.



France Says Algeria Threatening to Expel Diplomatic Staff 

This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
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France Says Algeria Threatening to Expel Diplomatic Staff 

This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
This handout photograph released by French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) shows France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot meeting with Algeria's Foreign Minister at the ministry headquarters in Algiers on April 6, 2025. (AFP Photo / Handout / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)

France said on Monday that Algeria had threatened to expel 12 of its diplomatic staff and that it would take immediate reprisals should that occur in the latest flare-up between them.

Algeria protested over the weekend against Frances's detention of an Algerian consular agent suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian. French media said three people, including the diplomat, were under investigation over the seizure of Algerian government opponent Amir Boukhors.

"The Algerian authorities are demanding that 12 of our agents leave Algerian territory within 48 hours," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement.

"If the decision to expel our agents is maintained, we will have no choice but to respond immediately."

There was no immediate confirmation from Algeria of an imminent expulsion.

France's relations with its former colony have long been complicated, but took a turn for the worse last year when French President Emmanuel Macron angered Algeria by backing Morocco's position over the disputed Western Sahara region.

Only last week, Barrot had said ties were returning to normal after a visit to Algeria.