Beirut is drowning in garbage again... Is the nightmare of 2015 returning?
June 7, 20257 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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With the start of the summer tourism season in Lebanon, the waste crisis has resurfaced, this time in the heart of the capital Beirut, where its streets were filled with piles of garbage, reminiscent of the famous 2015 crisis.
Images showing the large accumulation of waste in Beirut neighborhoods circulated on social media, prompting many Lebanese to express outrage and mockery on the "X" platform, questioning if this is the image the government welcomes tourists and expatriates with.
"Come prepared with masks!"
Comments were sharp; some urged visitors to bring masks with them, while others mocked the authorities for paving the airport entrances while the city is filled with waste, considering it a "deception of the scene" instead of addressing the roots of the crisis.
In response to public anger, Beirut's mayor, Ibrahim Zaidan, held an emergency meeting with those responsible at "Ramco," the waste collection company, in the presence of the Municipal Guard Operations Director.
He conducted a field tour in the affected areas, after which the company started removing the accumulated waste.
This environmental crisis coincides with high hopes for a promising tourist season, especially after a year that witnessed significant security tensions between Israel and Hezbollah last summer, which harmed the tourism sector.
Positive expectations have increased with several Gulf countries lifting the travel ban to Lebanon, renewing hopes for a partial economic recovery amidst the severe financial crisis that has been affecting the country since 2019.
