Beirut firefighters have closed down their Bachoura Center in protest over fuel shortages and health security concerns.
On Friday, members of the Beirut Fire Brigade chained the entrance of the Bachoura Center, protesting their inability to benefit from social security services offered to the Brigade and having to fully bear medical expenses.
Their move also comes after the supply of fuel to the Brigade’s vehicles was cut, as Lebanon goes through a severe fuel crisis.
Members of the Brigade are also demanding a contractual salary.
It’s worth mentioning that the Beirut Fire Brigade has sacrificed numerous members over the years, most recently the 10 martyrs who were killed while responding to the August 4 Beirut explosion last year.
The firefighters’ demands are not too different from the demands of the rest of the people of Lebanon, who are facing compounding threats to their health, food, social, and overall security in a collapsing country.
Speaking of social security, earlier this year, the director-general of Lebanon’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) warned that the Fund may be forced to stop providing its services to a third of the Lebanese population.
