The Tannourine factory, in the valley of the village of the same name, in the Batroun district, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, the day after its reopening. (Photo Nemtala Edde/L'Orient-Le Jour)
"A storm in a water bottle,” said Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury during his press conference on Sunday in Tannourine (North Lebanon). His intent was clear: to close the Tannourine affair surrounding the brand's water contamination. On Oct. 13, the Health Ministry ordered the water company to withdraw its products from the market due to bacterial contamination.Within days, what seemed to be a simple public health issue turned into a sectarian debate: in one version, they say that Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine, affiliated with Hezbollah, wanted to target a so-called "Christian" company; others claim that after Tannourine refused to provide water to Hezbollah for a scouts’ event on Oct. 12, the militia launched a smear campaign. Beyond sectarian reflexes, the affair mainly reveals serious deficiencies in...
"A storm in a water bottle,” said Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury during his press conference on Sunday in Tannourine (North Lebanon). His intent was clear: to close the Tannourine affair surrounding the brand's water contamination. On Oct. 13, the Health Ministry ordered the water company to withdraw its products from the market due to bacterial contamination.Within days, what seemed to be a simple public health issue turned into a sectarian debate: in one version, they say that Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine, affiliated with Hezbollah, wanted to target a so-called "Christian" company; others claim that after Tannourine refused to provide water to Hezbollah for a scouts’ event on Oct. 12, the militia launched a smear campaign. Beyond sectarian reflexes, the affair mainly reveals serious deficiencies in...
