Lebanon is awaiting the arrival of gas shipments from Egypt by August 23 to help restore electricity, which was cut off after power plants exhausted their fuel supplies.

Lebanon’s state electricity company announced that its power generation plants had exhausted their fuel supplies and would stop producing electricity until more supplies were secured.

Temporary generators are providing power to Beirut Airport for two days.

Lebanon’s Energy Minister said that the country is awaiting gas shipments from abroad to support the power plants, noting that the government has taken preemptive measures in anticipation of fuel depletion.

Homes and businesses in Lebanon largely rely on generators, and increasingly on solar panels, to obtain power, as the state typically provides electricity for only a few hours a day.

The state electricity company said that the blackout across all Lebanese territories occurred after the last electricity production unit was forcibly shut down due to fuel depletion.

The blackout affects essential facilities, including Beirut Airport, the port, water and sewage pumps, prisons, and other sites.

Lebanon has suffered from severe electricity shortages for years, especially since the country fell into a prolonged financial crisis in 2019.