Beirut, Lebanon – Hospitals dipped deep into emergency stockpiles, lines grew at gas stations and grocers complained of shortages of foreign goods Sunday as an Israeli air and sea blockade kept all but a trickle of supplies out of Lebanon.
“It’s certainly affecting my business. All my suppliers are asking for cash now,” said Ziad Abiaad, 40, who owns Super Tfouny Market in Beirut’s upscale Ashrafiya neighborhood. “We’re digging into our reserves just to get things on the shelves.”
Four shiploads of food from the United Nations and nine Lebanese fuel tankers have entered Beirut’s port since Aug. 13 – the eve of a cease-fire that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah – but all commercial sea traffic remains frozen.
Israel has blocked commercial cargo flights, letting about three planes carrying relief supplies land daily at the country’s only international airport, along with seven passenger flights, airport officials said.
Israel has said it will not lift the embargo until U.N. troops and the Lebanese army take positions along the Syrian border to block arms shipments to Hezbollah from its two main supporters, Iran and Syria.
Each day, $1 million in shipping revenues is lost, said Antoine Constantine, an aide to the country’s public-works and transportation minister.
“Everything’s halted, and we had no ‘Plan B.’ I lose $5,000 every day this goes on,” said Tarek Rida Said Basha, 40, who owns Orient Corp., an automobile- shipping company.
“We can’t import all the medical supplies we need, because we can’t get commercial shipments,” said Dr. George Tomey, deputy president of the American University of Beirut, which runs one of the country’s leading hospitals.
