IT outage and strike at Beirut port: 'Hundreds of containers' blocked

BEIRUT — The Committee for the Management and Operation of the Port of Beirut (GEPB) announced in a statement that its CAMA (Cargo Management System), used for processing goods and invoices, is currently out of order and under repair.

A little earlier, the food importers' union had reported "hundreds of containers" blocked at the port, attributing the situation to a strike by civil servants that has lasted for over a week over demands for salary increases.

"The CAMA system experienced an urgent technical failure in the last few hours, and specialized technical teams immediately took the necessary steps to resolve it and restore the system as quickly as possible, with the outage expected to be resolved in the coming hours," port management wrote in a statement carried by the official state-run National News Agency (NNA).

The GEPB also assured that "this outage has not led to a complete halt in port activities. Alternative and exceptional procedures have been put in place to issue authorizations for the release of goods, to ensure continuity of work and avoid any delays in customs clearance."

Earlier, the food importers' union, headed by Hani Bohsali, called on the relevant authorities to "quickly find a solution to the issue of completing the procedures related to the release of goods from the Port of Beirut, which have come to a standstill due to the strike by public administration employees."

"Hundreds of containers loaded with foodstuffs are currently sitting at the port, with their owners unable to move or transfer them to warehouses for distribution to retail outlets," the union lamented, noting that most of the goods are intended to supply the market ahead of the month of Ramadan, which begins on Feb. 17.

Salaries in the public sector — which encompasses a large number of civil servants compared to the size of the country — have not been adjusted to compensate for the loss of value resulting from the depreciation of the lira following the 2019 crisis.

The 2026 budget draft, which is currently in the hands of the Finance Committee, does not provide for a definitive wage adjustment.