The Lebanon of 2021 in Retrospect - A year of heartache, combat and resilience

Opinion analysis by Maria Wehbe, Staff Writer

January 4th, 2021

2021 has been an unbearable year for everyone around the world: from natural disasters and climate change to a worsening pandemic, school shootings, immense protests, devastated populations and so much more. People worldwide have been exhausted to the greatest extent possible, both physically and mentally. One country that deserves a very special recognition after everything that it has endured this past year is none other than Lebanon. This country has been through a lot, and regardless of it all, there are people that are still here, there are people who still have hope, there are people who are willing to keep fighting for this country until it goes back to what it once was and that is so inspiring and captivating, because the love that these people have for their country is undeniable and so strong that nothing could tear it apart; not a deadly explosion, not a worsening economic crisis, not hyperinflation, nor diminishing quantities of basic necessities. It is important to look over the major events that have happened in Lebanon over the past year in order to commemorate the Lebanese citizens for their strength and resilience. But also, it is so that we can know what to expect in the year to come, or at least, try to prepare for it as much as we can, because we all know that it is not going to be an easy one either.

The year started with a high increase in COVID-19 cases, whereby the New Year’s Eve celebrations played a big role in that. The healthcare system was crashing and hospitals were no longer able to admit COVID-19 patients as the units were completely full and the hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of people walking through their doors: the week of January 20, 2021 reported a 7-day average of more than 4600 daily new cases. Although a strict lockdown had been implemented at the beginning of the year, it was too late as the exposure had already taken place. This then led to further restrictions and a stricter lockdown, which of course, did not benefit the country’s sectors in the slightest, as the economic crisis was already a problem in itself, and adding on top of that a lockdown that would lead to further regression was not ideal. With that being said, the schools and universities that had opened at the end of 2020 did not re-open at the beginning of 2021 as the situation was too unsteady and unstable and it was too much of a risk for both students and staff – schools and universities should have been the last places to close, yet unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Over the past two years, we know that the quality of education in Lebanon has decreased as online learning was not as beneficial as one would have initially hoped, and with the recent increase in cases once again, it is very possible that schools and universities shift back to an online setting at the beginning of 2022, which really is such a shame.

In addition, it is clear that the worsening economic crisis affected everyone in a variety of ways: basic necessities have become unaffordable to most Lebanese citizens, and also, tuition fees in schools and universities increased drastically. In fact, the American University of Beirut and Lebanese American University changed their fees by increasing the exchange rate to 3900 L.L., compared to the prior 1500 L.L. rate. However, not all universities complied with their decisions, some of which are the University of Balamand and USEK, whereby their rates still stand at 1500 L.L. This led to panic and disruption: as the country was going to face a stricter lockdown and with the increase in prices, people started panic-buying and overstocking in case they’d be stuck in their homes for longer than expected. Naturally, this caused chaos in supermarkets, pharmacies, and bakeries. The shelves were empty, as people who were overbuying left nothing behind for others, and families were left to starve. The situation was drastic and very much heartbreaking, as everyone panicked and this was not being done on purpose, but rather the people truly went into survival mode and did what they thought was right.

People just became desperate and were willing to do whatever it takes to save their families and provide them with what they needed, or in some cases, turn them over to people they think would be able to. In fact, in late January of 2021, a father from Tripoli handed over his 2-year old daughter to an officer of the Army in Al-Nour Square in the middle of a protest. The father had said that he no longer had one single Lebanese Lira that he could use to feed and take care of his daughter due to the deteriorating economic situation, which is why the protest was taking place initially. The father was arrested by authorities and put under investigation. However, the father was only trying to send a message to the government officials and wanted to do right by his daughter: who could blame him? He was put in a position that he could not bear and wanted to do something about it, and that is the harsh reality of a lot of Lebanese parents today: not knowing what to do to provide their children with the most basic necessities.

The hyperinflation was a major issue that just kept escalating as the year progressed, which led to increases in prices in each and every sector. The country was suffering in every single regard, and the situation was very unstable and unsettling, to say the least. The fuel crisis was one never seen before, to this caliber at least. It was not only disastrous for transportation, but also for health and water services. According to Najat Rochdi, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator of Lebanon, the fuel crisis had put thousands of families at risk and the situation was very dangerous: “I am deeply concerned about the impact of the fuel crisis on access to healthcare and water supply for millions of people in Lebanon. A bad situation only stands to get worse unless an instant solution is found”. Indeed, combining the lack of fuel with the increase in fuel prices only led to a disaster. Today, so many people can no longer afford fuel – although the crisis has subsided in a way, this basic necessity has become inaccessible to the typical Lebanese citizen. One would have thought that the Beirut Port Explosion would have been the cherry on top, and that there was no more going downhill from there, yet, little did we know, that was so further away from the truth than we could have ever imagined. The one-year anniversary of the deadly blast left all of us speechless, heartbroken, frustrated and angry – we all relived that day again, in our own way, and this event is one that we will never get over, nor should we ever. We have to always keep talking about it and never forget what happened, because it was the third deadliest explosion ever recorded in history.

Not long after that came the Akkar Explosion: on August 15th, 2021, a fuel tank exploded in the region of Akkar, in Northern Lebanon, killing at least 28 people and approximately 79 were left injured. According to military and security sources, the Lebanese army was in the midst of handing out gasoline to residents after it had seized aa hidden fuel storage tank in the town of Tleil when the explosion happened. This was a very sad day for Lebanon and the residents of the region were just angry and furious: Akkar is one of the poorest areas in Lebanon, and the residents of the region had already been suffering enough, so to go through such a traumatic event left them uneasy and startled. Lebanon has been through some very traumatic events ever since the Beirut Port Explosion, and another one that marked 2021 very well was the Tayyouneh Clash that took place in October of 2021: at least 6 people were killed, and 25 others were wounded by gun shots. Snipers were shooting from hidden spots in buildings, bullets were penetrating apartments, projectiles fell near schools located in Beirut, leading to panic among everyone who lived or was in that area at the time. Students in schools were petrified as they had to hide in the corridors in order to be protected from bullets, parents were terrified and wanted to get their kids from school with whatever means necessary, but worst of all, the situation led to people being terrified in their own homes, which is supposed to be the safest place for them to be. The situation got out of hand and it is a day that will forever leave its trace in Lebanon’s history, as horror spread all across Beirut that day and traumatized people for life.

The deteriorating situation in Lebanon led to further unemployment and drastic brain drain, as the country progressively saw a lot of its professionals leave the country, as they no longer saw hope for it. Living in Lebanon has become unaffordable for many, and in addition to that, about 819 000 of the workers in Lebanon are employed in the six highest-risk sectors: manufacturing, construction, accommodation and food service, wholesale and retail trade, business activities and real estate, and last but not least, the arts and entertainment industry. Living in a country that is already so unstable and adding on top of that working a job that puts you at risk in a variety of ways led so many Lebanese citizens to flee in search of better and safer opportunities abroad, ones that are sustainable and ones that would help them live normal lives. Who could blame them? It is their right to live decently and to be able to afford their most basic necessities, which unfortunately, is not the case in Lebanon for many. 

After everything that has been said, it is important to commemorate Lebanon after everything it has been through, no matter the outcome: it is always important to look at the positive side of everything. Amid everything that was happening, some good news saw the light of day: a lot of local businesses were booming, Lebanese athletes qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics and others competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics, placing Lebanon on the worldwide map, local NGOs such as Offre Joie made it their mission to rebuild Beirut to the biggest extent possible, and most importantly, Lebanese citizens helped each other out. It is known that Lebanese citizens keep on giving and helping no matter what, even when they no longer have anything to give. Although 2022 is not going to be an easy year and Lebanese citizens should brace themselves because a lot will be thrown in their way, they are strong and devoted individuals that will fight tooth and nail for their country. And so, it is important to stay vigilant, yet also, not lose hope and keep fighting for the Lebanon that everyone wants to see, and one way to do that is through the 2022 Lebanese Elections. Voting now is more important than ever before, because the livelihood of the Lebanese people truly depends on it, and we owe it to ourselves to give this country a second chance, and give ourselves a second chance to start fresh and go back to our roots.