MP Razi Al-Hajj, an economic expert, cautioned on Monday that “Lebanon lacks the psychological, social, economic and logistical capacity to engage in any war and harbors no such intentions.”
In an interview with local newspaper Nida Al Watan, Hajj highlighted the deterioration of public institutions, many of which are in a state of complete paralysis. “This includes, for example, civil defense institutions, which operate at less than 10% of their capacities, with most of their equipment being out of order,” Hajj said. As an example, he cited the recent collapse of a building in Mansourieh, where the search for nine people lasted for a week without the authorities being able to find all the missing persons.
“Lebanon is grappling with an economic contraction that makes it unable to bear any new burdens. The decision to cancel the majority of reservations to Lebanon will undermine the projected economic benefits, which the economic and tourism sectors were counting on during the Christmas and New Year holidays,” he said, adding that “many private companies will be forced to leave Lebanon permanently.”
The Lebanese Forces MP pointed out that “To top it all off, Lebanon’s infrastructure is in a catastrophic state even without war given the absence of sanitation, water and electricity. Differently put, the country cannot sustain any additional tremors.”
