Lebanon: Beirut in the dark as power plants run out of fuel

Lebanon's two main power plants were forced to shut down after running out of fuel plunging the country into darkness on Saturday.

Lebanon is grappling with a crippling energy crisis made worse by its dependency on fuel imports.

The Lebanese increasingly depend on private operators that also struggle to secure supplies amid an unprecedented crash of the national currency.

The shortage of diesel and fuel, along with an antiquated infrastructure, has worsened power cuts that have been a fixture for years. Erratic power supplies have put hospitals and essential services in crisis mode.

New shipment of fuel from Iraq is expected next week. But the company, responsible for most of the government's debts, is dependent on credit from the country's central bank, which is struggling with dwindling reserves.

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The government has gradually raised prices of fuel and diesel as the central bank cut back on subsidizing dollars for imports, adding to the hardships in Lebanon

With prices soaring and unemployment at a record high, many families have given up private generators and few hours of state power a day is all they get.