by Dana Halawi
BEIRUT, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Nawfal Bou Hadir spends several hours every day with his son collecting firewood in Niha, a town in Chouf mountain, to be used for heating in the upcoming winter season in Lebanon.
"Diesel has become too expensive for us given the current deteriorating economic situation so we have to rely on firewood this winter season," Bou Hadir told Xinhua.
Bou Hadir, whose butchery business has lately seen a drop by 70 percent, said his family has to use firewood to heat the room in the cold weather of Lebanese mountains this year as it is cheaper.
Most of the Lebanese this year are resorting to firewood as a way to keep warm amid the current economic crisis with people barely capable of securing their food needs and trying to reduce other expenses including diesel used to operate generators.
The Central Bank of Lebanon currently subsidizes the prices of medicines, wheat and fuel imports. But Banque Du Liban (BDL) announced earlier this year its plan to remove subsidies on basic items this month due to the shortage in foreign currency reserves in the country.
This has promoted some citizens to store diesel, causing its shortage in the market and pushing up the price.
Representative of fuel distribution companies in Lebanon Fadi Abou Chakra said that 60 percent of people today cannot afford to buy 20 liters of diesel while warning against BDL's plan to remove subsidies on fuel.
Meanwhile, Nasser Yassin, a professor of policy and planning at the American University of Beirut, emphasized the need by the government to secure diesel vouchers for families classified as "energy poor," especially in mountain areas.
Yassin noted that another solution would be to expand winter programs offered by international organizations to refugees and some members of host societies. Enditem
