Lebanese people rushed to stock food, medicine and fuel amid fears of the eruption of war with Israel at any moment.
Despite assurances by relevant ministries and unions about the availability of these goods for the coming months, that didn’t stop people from stocking up on some essential products, most notably infant formula and medicines for chronic and incurable diseases.
Chairman of the Lebanese economic organizations, former Minister Mohamed Choucair explained that the markets have enough supplies to last three to six months. Enough flour is also available for bakeries to continue operating for three months, which is the longest period flour can be stored.
Choucair, however, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The rush to store food, medicine, and other products creates confusion among the people and reduces the reserve stocks available in warehouses.”
The fear of war seems justified among the Lebanese with memories of the July 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel still fresh in their minds. Israel bombed Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, putting it out of service, and imposed a strict blockade on seaports as soon as the war broke out.
Choucair said the greatest concern is that fuel supplies will be interrupted.
He said: “It is true that gasoline and diesel are available for three months, and fuel tanks cannot contain more than this amount, but the interruption of fuel will inevitably lead to a halt in operations at factories and it will become difficult for people to move from one area to another.”
Photos posted on social media showed shelves at some supermarkets completely empty of goods. Head of the Food Importers Syndicate in Lebanon Hani Al-Bohsali said the rush to stock goods has gone too far and is unjustified, at least for now, given the availability of supplies at warehouses.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he added however that problems may arise should a war erupt, leading to roads being blocked and therefore creating difficulties in the delivery of goods from warehouses to merchants and stores.
Meanwhile, caretaker Public Health Minister Firas Abiad received 32 tons of emergency aid on Monday from the World Health Organization (WHO) to Lebanon, which included “medical supplies and medicines designated for treating war injuries.”
The shipment arrived in a charter plane on Monday morning at the Middle East Airlines cargo terminal at Beirut international airport, in the presence of the representative of the WHO in Lebanon, Abdel Nasser Abu Bakr.
The shipment is part of efforts to raise Lebanon’s health sector readiness to confront any possible escalation.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said: “Lebanon does not want any war... We have been demanding from day one a ceasefire extending from Gaza to Lebanon and its south, but at the same time we are seeing the Israeli attacks that are being carried out daily not only in Gaza, but in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.”
“The health sector can only be as prepared as possible in the event of any emergency,” he added.
