‘Catastrophe’ warning as Lebanese officials lift fuel subsidies

Authorities say $3bn fuel subsidies unsustainable but critics fear petrol prices doubling will increase social tensions.

Beirut, Lebanon –  Caretaker Prime Minister Hasan Diab approved a plan to decrease crucial fuel subsidies, a move observers warned could unleash a “social catastrophe” as the economy continues to crumble. Diab said the goal was to secure enough fuel throughout the summer, where he hoped to see expats and tourists visit the cash-strapped country. It would now import fuel at 3,900 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, as opposed to 1,500. A ministerial source told Al Jazeera the price of a tank of petrol could increase by almost twofold.