The Deputy Chairman of the Union of Bakeries and Ovens, Ali Ibrahim, attributed the bread crisis to "the closure of several mills due to the unavailability of subsidized wheat, and we must expect the worst." Meanwhile, in Nabatiyeh, the price of a bread bundle was sold on the black market for 25,000 Lebanese pounds, an increase of 10,000 from the price set by the Ministry of Economy, after companies stopped delivering bread to stores due to the depletion of flour at the Deir Zahrani bakery. This led to a crisis and discontent among citizens, who turned to Sidon to secure bread or to Khaldeh to obtain it in large quantities for their families, friends, and neighbors.
Reports indicated a severe bread crisis in Sidon after several bakeries ceased operations due to running out of flour stock, while others experienced overwhelming crowds and a return of long queues to obtain bread. Dozens of people awaited their turn for a bread bundle in front of a bakery in Tripoli, with a long line extending into one of the alleys leading to Khan al-Askar.
In the south, "The Flour Distributors Association" called for the complete lifting of subsidies on wheat and the liberalization of imports. A statement issued stated, "After the price of a bread bundle reached record levels and being sold on the black market humiliating and insulting the citizen in order to obtain it, and to prevent the repetition of the gasoline scenario and the occurrence of security incidents, as well as the uncontrolled subsidized flour that expired in the black market, if we cannot continue to subsidize wheat and regulate its distribution, we urge the Minister of Economy and Trade in the caretaker government, Amin Salam, and all responsible officials to make a decision to fully lift the subsidies on wheat and liberalize imports to end this ongoing suffering, because the situation has reached a bad option which is raising subsidies, and worse, is the hunger of the people, their humiliation, and the breakdown of security and social stability. This decision should be made as soon as possible with facilitation from other relevant ministries to process the wheat vessel transactions to resume the operation of the closed mills and to find a mechanism to include bread bundles in the ration card system."
