It is often said that despite Lebanon’s political turmoil, its resilient citizens continue to live their lives. If war is raging in one part of the country, other parts of it continue without a worry. The country’s latest crisis has, however, permeated through the political, religious and sectarian divides and is forcing some of the most hardened and apolitical Lebanese indoors. Glitzy Beirut is now a large dumpster and the government appears unable to do anything about it.
Lebanon has been without a president for 14 months and its dysfunctional parliament has extended its own mandate after failing to agree on elections. One cannot blame the residents of Nahhas, where the landfill that took most of that garbage is located, for shutting down access to it. The government has, after all, repeatedly failed to live up to its pledge to find a solution.
If the government is unable to find a solution to a seemingly simple civic issue, the Lebanese can stop hoping for a solution to the country’s political crises anytime soon.
