A retiree recently expressed his anguish by pouring gasoline on himself in an act of desperation, expressing his anger over how little his pension has become, which he receives monthly in minuscule amounts from the bank. It's not unlikely that such incidents will occur again in the days to come, and it would not be surprising to hear about retirees dying from heart attacks or health issues after losing their benefits, experiencing drastically reduced salaries, and losing the basic necessities of living and health care during their old age, with the possibility of an unknown future of aging.
Marwan Kh., a retired officer from the Internal Security Forces, recounts how his life has changed due to the crisis and the depreciation of the Lebanese pound: "After a long service in the military and many sacrifices, I never imagined that my salary wouldn't be enough to buy food and medicine for myself and my wife. What’s worse is that even medical care and hospitalization are no longer guaranteed, and we now live in constant fear of illness and poverty, especially if the national currency continues to collapse."
He added in an interview with MTV: "Previously, this rank provided a decent life for any citizen and their family, but today, an officer on duty or even a retiree lives a life of austerity and poverty due to the corruption of the rulers and what they have led us to. My pension now only amounts to 150 dollars, and the emergency savings I had in the bank have vanished."
According to researcher Muhammad Shams al-Din from the International Information Center, "The number of retirees in the public sector is 124,000, most of whom are military personnel and teachers, and many receive monthly salaries along with benefits based on their years of service." He stated via MTV that "the situation for retirees in Lebanon has become very dire, and the greatest challenge facing them is medical care, especially since they are more susceptible to illness due to their age, marking a significant catastrophe."
Retirees in both the public and private sectors in Lebanon "are suffering" and have lost their life savings in a grim game that continues to control our currency and lives. While every elderly person around the world dreams of retirement, planning for travel, relaxation, and leisure after years of work and production, the Lebanese retiree now dreams of securing food and medicine and lives off their children instead of being their everlasting support. So when will our rulers retire from the plan to eliminate our past and future simultaneously?
