- On Wednesday, a woman seized a Lebanese bank. The Associated Press reported.
- Sali Hafez claimed she was trying get money out of her savings account to help pay for her sister’s treatment for cancer.
- Due to Lebanon’s economic crisis, banks have restricted the withdrawals of citizens.
Multiple outlets reported that a woman took hostage a bank in Lebanon to withdraw money from her savings account.
CNNReports state that Sali Hafez threatened herself with self-infliction and brandished a toy gun, which she later stated was a BLOM Bank branch’s toy gun, on Wednesday.
Hafez stated to local Lebanese outlets she needed to withdraw funds in order to pay for her sister’s treatment for cancer. She stated that she had called the bank manager several days before the hold up and asked for permission to withdraw funds. She was told that she could withdraw $200 per month. The Associated Press reported.
“My sister is in grave danger and no one is willing to save her. My money was taken by the bank. Hafez stated that he has nothing to lose.
—Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 16, 2022
The banks of Lebanon have placed strict withdrawal limits on foreign currencies since 2019, which has meant that millions have struggled to access their savings. The AP reported that 75% of the country’s population is in poverty as its economy continues to plummet.
Hafez stated that she drew $13,000 from the $20,000 she held in savings Wednesday, thanks to activists from the Depositors’Outcry. According to the AP, Hafez claimed that she was so desperate that she considered selling her kidney in order to help pay for treatment for her sister.
AlJazeeraAccording to reports, a growing number of people are targeting banks to get their money. Hafez, who held the BLOM bank branch hostage on the same day, demanded money from an armed man at a BankMed Branch in Aley.
Alaa Khorchid is the founder of Depositors’ Outcry. He stated that people have been peacefully protesting for many years and are tired of not being heard. CNN reported that they are now “taking matters into themselves.”
AlJazeera reported that these people worked for decades but were not allowed by the rulers to build palaces. “There’s no government, no plan for economic recovery, and very little money left.”
