Lebanon In the Dark // FAI ONLINE

Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, during a recent power outage (Credit: Dylan Collins, AFP, Getty Images).

Lebanon was plunged into darkness Saturday, as the small nation’s two largest power plants were forced to shut down for lack of fuel. Already plagued by political dysfunction, currency devaluation, high inflation, and Iranian influence, the blackout is the latest sign of Lebanon’s social disintegration. Power is not expected to be restored for at least three days, creating widespread implications for the country’s healthcare system in the midst of a global pandemic.

The latest power outage is the result of almost two years of political and economic turmoil in Lebanon, once touted as the “Paris of the Middle East.” Lebanese currency has devalued more than 90%, with one Lebanese pound now trading at 0.00066 for the US Dollar. The monetary spiral has caused fuel prices to skyrocket, decimating supply for both power companies and private citizens who use generators to supplement their electricity needs. Moreover, the Levantine nation’s energy crisis has been compounded by a five-fold increase in food prices, leaving almost 80% of Lebanese citizens below the poverty level.

Lebanon’s economic demise has led to a breakdown in security, with the nation’s military commander admitting that “the military establishment has been affected by the economic crisis, which has affected the social conditions of the soldiers and their families.” The Iranian government and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, have sought to exploit the downturn. Hezbollah has played both the hero and the villain in recent months, importing fuel from Iran to alleviate the energy crisis while allowing an increase in volatility along the Lebanese border with Israel. Hamas operatives and other Palestinian militants have become increasingly active along the border in the last year, leading to several incidents of cross-border rocket fire and infiltrations into Israeli territory.

We ask the global Maranatha family to intercede on behalf of the people of Lebanon, now in the midst of the worst national calamity since the devastating civil war more than three decades ago. Economic collapse and political instability are open doors for bad actors in the region, now jockeying for position along Israel’s northern border. We pray that the God of mercy would alleviate the strain on food and fuel prices, and that nations with nobler intentions would aid Lebanon with urgency, stifling the influence of Iran, Hezbollah, and other jihadist groups in the beleaguered country. Most of all, we pray that literal darkness across Lebanon would allow for the proverbial Light to shine more brightly, and that the Lord of the Harvest would send laborers into the white fields of ancient Tyre and Sidon.

Maranatha.