Egypt: Amid shortages, Egyptians grow to miss Mubarak

Written By Justin Merriman
Long line of trucks sit on the road of the Nile's west bank in Luxor, Egypt.  The trucks are lined up, waiting on the side of the road for hours, sometimes as long as 7 hours,  to fill up their tanks with diesel fuel, often only to find the besieged gas station has run out of fuel before they reach the pumps.  The diesel shortage is wreaking havoc on people’s daily lives, leaving some reminiscing over the days of former president Mubarak. Egypt’s foreign reserve has plummeted by nearly two-thirds since Mubarak’s ouster. Tourism, one of the country’s key economic sector is in a slump.The Egyptian pound has devalued by nearly ten percent, and violent crime is on the rise. “This is the worst crisis, because it has been going on for a year and a half and it is never ending,” said Ehab Shookry, the owner of a franchise gas station. “People are really very tired.” To read more about the situation read Betsy Hiel's reporting in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Justin Merriman

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist, commercial photographer, licensed drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. His career began in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he worked as a newspaper photographer dedicated to community storytelling and politics. Since then, his work has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards and has appeared in publications around the world.

After covering the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, Merriman committed to documenting the U.S. military’s War on Terror, reporting from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the United States. His international assignments have also included life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, India’s campaign to eradicate polio, the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the uncertain future of Guantanamo Bay in 2015. That same year, he traveled the full U.S.–Mexico border to document immigration issues.

In addition to photography, Merriman works as a director and filmmaker, creating recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India, and South Africa.

Closer to home, he frequently covers stories across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, focusing on the intersections of economic, environmental, and political life. Most recently, he reported on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and its impact on the community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a group of photographers sharing diverse visions of America. He lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.

http://www.justinmerriman.com
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