Al Jazeera Net correspondents
Bekaa- The Israeli bombing of the “Al-Masnaa” crossing on the Lebanese-Syrian border in the Bekaa district paralyzed the movement of goods in both directions. It also imposed a new reality on the movement of individuals as well, and left negative economic repercussions on the Lebanese economy in general, and the city of Majdal Anjar in particular, where the Lebanese border post facilities are located. Within its scope.
The Masnaa crossing is one of the six most prominent border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, and it is also the closest in terms of distance between the port of Beirut and foreign markets through Syria, which placed additional financial burdens on the companies concerned with export and import operations that turned to the northern Lebanese crossings.
Movement of goods
Khaled Youssef, the owner of one of the clearance offices at the Masnaa crossing, explained that transit traffic stopped permanently due to the holes created by the Israeli bombing that targeted the crossing area, and the value of trade exchanges declined from approximately $700 million annually to zero, and the transit movement of tourist cars also stopped permanently. .
He said in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that in days like these, Lebanon was exporting thousands of tons of fruits, onions, and potatoes, in addition to the products of canned food factories and potato chips. In return, he imported raw materials for manufacturing plastic, and he imported flour, wheat, medicines, and various foodstuffs.
The office owner points out that Lebanon’s dependence on the Masnaa crossing as a gateway for exporting local products or those coming through the Beirut port is approximately 70%, due to the shipping cost, which does not exceed 50% of its counterpart through other crossings. He added, “Many shipping companies were damaged, as were dozens of Lebanese laboratories and factories, but what befell the city of Majdal Anjar on the economic level is absolutely catastrophic.”
In turn, Omar Abu Heikal, who owns a chain of establishments near the Masnaa border point, said, “Most of my establishments have stopped working, and I even had to reduce the number of employees as a result of the road being cut off due to the Israeli raids. The exceptional reality today has befallen my establishments, and I do not know if there is a solution soon.” Or will the crisis last longer?
Deliberate targeting
Hikmat Yassin, a resident of Majdal Anjar, says that the Israeli army bombed the factory crossing on the fourth of October, and the bombing completely cut off communication between the Lebanese and Syrian sides regarding the legitimate crossing point, at the factory, which is completely adjacent to the city of Majdal Anjar.
He added, “When the concerned departments and residents attempted to fill the large hole created by enemy aircraft missiles, Israeli warplanes again raided the targeted area, and repeated the raid on many points along the highway, including dirt roads created for pedestrian traffic.”
Citizen Talieh Hammoud commented, saying, “The continued interruption of the main artery between Lebanon and Syria constitutes great harm, not only to the Lebanese economy, but also to our city known as the Lebanese-Syrian border city.”
Concerning the movement of pedestrians between the two countries through the Masnaa checkpoint, M.S., a taxi driver who preferred to remain anonymous, says, “People do not lack a way to pass through dirt roads, even though some of them are very bumpy, but this is not without the dangers of enemy aircraft attacking them.” “Any moment.”
He explained to Al Jazeera Net that since the bombing of this crossing, which is a vital artery, people have turned to taking dirt roads in both directions, especially from Lebanon to Syria due to the massive displacement movement, whether for southerners, the Bekaa, or Syrians residing in Lebanon. He said that some of them take dirt roads to bypass the huge potholes that The most recent of which is the Israeli bombing, where taxis are waiting for them to take them to their destinations.
Municipal efforts
The head of the municipal council of the city of Majdal Anjar, Adnan Fahim Yassin, told Al Jazeera Net: “Since the first strike on the crossing at the beginning of this month, we have been coming to grips with the repercussions of the Israeli strikes on the factory, which is like an umbilical cord to our city and its people.”
He added that the municipality had made contact with the relevant official Lebanese authorities to help understand the results of the strike on this vital artery, “in the hope that we will see a positive interaction, especially in terms of addressing several problems related to the water and sewage network, supporting the local community and those displaced to it, and protecting the economic sectors that have been spared.” and productivity,” he said.
Yassin explained – to Al Jazeera Net – that the greatest burden is related to waste, as the Israeli raids hit part of the waste sorting plant and the landfill attached to it, and the road blockage and continued attacks prevented the vehicles from reaching the landfill, which prompted the municipality to search for an alternative provided by the Zahle Municipality.
The same spokesman adds, “This temporary alternative can only accommodate 50% of the quantities accumulated daily, and that puts our city, which has a population of about 60,000 residents and refugees from Baalbek, the South, and Arqoub, in an unenviable situation.”
Yassin stressed that the municipality is trying to fill the gaps with the human efforts it has. “The country is already living in an exceptional economic situation, and its situation has worsened due to the barbaric aggression that affected the municipality’s capabilities, and it suffered very large losses as a result of blocking the factory road, but we will keep trying until this nightmare is lifted.” .
