Cooperation Between Lebanon and Algeria
The Lebanese government has issued a statement regarding the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Naguib Mikati and Algerian Prime Minister Mohamed Nazir al-Arbawi, in which Arbawi announced that, upon the instructions of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, they will provide emergency oil aid to Lebanon help it overcome the power outage crisis.
Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati thanked Arbawi for the offer of assistance and expressed Algeria’s continued support to Lebanon in various areas. However, it was noteworthy that the Algerian government has not yet made an official statement on the matter.
Electricity Crisis in Lebanon
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Electricity, the situation has worsened since 2019, when only four hours of electricity were available across the country. The Zahrani Facilities in the south were completely shut down due to fuel shortages, completely halting electricity distribution. There are serious power outages across the country, including the airport and sea port in the capital Beirut.
The economic crisis that broke out in 2019 caused the Central Bank of Lebanon to withdraw its subsidized support for electricity production. This has put the Lebanese government, which is solely dependent on oil for electricity production, in a difficult position. The country has been able to provide electricity for a maximum of four hours per day thanks to the “oil” agreement with Iraq for about five years. In addition, a large portion of the Lebanese are forced to resort to private generators for periods other than the four hours of electricity provided by the state.
- Lebanon Electricity Utility:Only 4 hours a day since 2019
- Electricity Production:Only supplied by petroleum
- Algeria’s Aid:Emergency oil aid
- Special Generator Usage:Most Lebanese use private generators instead of state electricity
These developments once again highlight the importance of international cooperation in resolving Lebanon’s electricity crisis.
