Eid Al Adha this year will not bring joy and happiness, that’s what people, merchants, and the general public agree on. The level of tension and anxiety among traders is increasing in parallel with the insane rise of the dollar exchange rate against the Lebanese pound.

The holiday clothes are kept the same on the storefronts as people cannot afford purchasing it this year. Merchants are screaming likewise citizens.

One of the merchants told Sawt Beirut International (SBI) reporter Ghassan Farran, “The situation is terrible with the dollar hovering around 24,000 LBP, who will afford buying clothes at this price? Officials apologized for not accepting Eid congratulations because they are enjoying their time outside the country.

The merchant added: “Officials have stolen us, displaced our children, and in the end they say they want to make reforms.”

Sales have dropped by 98 percent, the merchant said.

Another merchant said: “We bet on this season that it would be better than previous seasons, but unfortunately the politicians worsened the situation and made it more tragic. Whoever is buying clothes depends on foreign financial aid, but what will happen to these when aid is halted after Eid, with the salary of a senior employee does not exceed $50.

A citizen said: “In the past, I used to go to the market with my mother to buy Eid clothes, because Eid brings us happiness and enjoyment, but this Eid we decided not to buy clothes.”

Sales rate have fell by more than 90 percent compared to previous years, meaning that more than 90 percent of families, especially children, have been deprived from buying new clothes.

What can citizens expect more than this, and can the country experience worse than these days?