Hundreds of Lebanese protest against deteriorating living conditions

Hundreds of Lebanese people protested on Sunday against deteriorating economic conditions in the country and the absence of basic services, the National News Agency reported.

People demonstrated in different areas including Hamra, Beirut's downtown, Baalbek in Bekaa, and southern Lebanon by blocking roads while chanting slogans against the government.

Protesters said the government was not able to secure their basic needs such as electricity, water, medical care and education. They also complained about the rampant corruption in government departments.

Meanwhile, parliament member Paula Yacoubian said that people have the right to protest and nobody can stop them.

"Authorities have failed and they did not implement any of the reforms and changes. They are the ones who are responsible for Lebanon's current deteriorating situation," she said.

Lebanon has been suffering economically in the past couple of years. The country's gross public debt reached 86 billion U.S. dollars by the end of July.

Lebanon's budget deficit has reached 11.4 percent of GDP with officials promising to cut it to 7.5 percent in the 2019 state budget with structural reforms.

However, serious reforms have not started yet prompting Fitch, one of the leading international credit rating agencies, to downgrade Lebanon's rating from B- to CCC.