Lebanon experiences acute food insecurity

In a recent conference, the director of the World Food Program in Lebanon stated that 33% of the Lebanese (1.29 ⁠million) and 44% of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon (0.7 ⁠million), were in a state of Phase-3 food insecurity.

The cost of food is at record highs due to inflation and the lira's dwindling value.

In the latest episode of Lebanon's political circus, a number of Lebanese MPs have declared a sit-in at the House of Representatives until a new president is elected.

They spent the previous night there locked in with no electricity, allegedly reading the constitution.

⋯ MP Paula Yacoubian, in response to how she plans to support the the sit-in MPs: “I'll handle the matter of food. Even if they lock the bathrooms, we've thought of a Plan B for everything. Our houses are close, they can go there. They can sit in the parlor.”

Lebanese Minister of Education Abbas Al-Halabi to Al-Jazeera: “We do not have the power to set a date for the students to return to their schools because the crisis is deep and I hope it will be resolved soon.”

About the teachers' strike: t.iss.one/LebUpdate/28656

In a recent interview, journalist Hussein Mortada revealed that several security forces, especially the Lebanese army's Intelligence Directorate in collaboration with Hezbullah, thwarted a terrorist attack over a week ago.

⋯ The terrorist cell planned to target several areas on the Lebanese coast with suicide bombers. Fortunately, its leader and members were arrested near the border.

Such groups still recruit Lebanese individuals, and several are active on Lebanese soil, although closely monitored.

The IDF attempted, once again, to conduct construction works across the blue line, this time in the border area of Wadi Hunin.

⋯ the Lebanese Armed Forces were then deployed along the blue line to stop any attempts of crossing into lebanese territory by the IDF.

This morning, a horrific car crash occurred on a road in Salim Salam, Beirut.

Syria: A 5-story residential building collapsed in Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, Aleppo, killing at least 10 people including a child.

An estimated 30 people are reportedly stuck under the debris, with first responders scrambling to rescue them.

Yesterday, a 12 year old boy was hit with a stray bullet in the back while playing a football match in Bir Hassan, Mount Lebanon. He was transported to AUB hospital, where he received surgery to remove it. It had landed 2 cm from his spine.

Fortunately, his condition is stable.

🔌 EDL announces works and fight against fraud

Lebanon's national electricity company, Électricité du Liban, reports that it will start offloading the two ships moored to Lebanon's coast in a couple of days. It awaits routine paperwork between the Central Bank and the Ministry of Energy.

They also announced that Al-Zahrani Power Plant will be renovated to maximise production, which will be done in 5-6 months.

Finally, the company announced that it will not supply areas where payments are not collected, citing that the costs of such supply are unacceptable.

⋯ Note:
EdL reports that 30% of its supply is lost in "non-technical ways", as in, mainly theft by small and large establishments, and that cable theft is a very grave issue facing them, citing that the costs of replacing copper cables has become unbearable.

Hezbollah issued a statement condemning the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden, and that "this step comes in the context of a series of disgraceful insults against Prophet Muhammed (SAW), and Islamic symbols and sanctities", calling on Islamic governments to denounce this act.

In the lastest chapter in this appalling story of traitors, 2-year Hezbullah trainee Hassan A. provided the Israelis with the names and numbers of his colleagues, and gave intel on what he claimed were missile storehouses, for the mere price of $15,000.

al-akhbar.com/Politics/35…

IDF Command issued a statement blaming Hezbollah for the friction between them and the LAF, saying that their engineering work on the border is caused by Hezbollah building sites (trees?) under the name of "Green without Borders".

The Lebanese Armed Forces have stopped, once again, an attempt by the IDF to breach the blue line and attempt construction work in the same area of Wadi Hunin.