Lebanon Disaster

Lebanon: Disaster after disaster

Lebanon: Disaster after disaster

After the huge shock of the tragedy, comes the detailed damage assessment. And these are really worrying. Due to the already delicate socio-economic and political situation that the population of Lebanon was experiencing, being the country that hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, the explosion in the port of Beirut has finished placing its inhabitants in a position of extreme fragility.

The strong explosion shook the port of Beirut on Tuesday and left at least 135 dead, more than 4,000 injured, in addition to widespread damage throughout the city. The Lebanese authorities point out that the magnitude of what happened could have been caused by the explosion of a large quantity of fertilizer deposited over six years in a warehouse in the port.

The President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, pointed to the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate as the cause of what happened. Aoun noted that this material had been stored without proper conditions at the port. A similar amount of this chemical, which itself is not flammable, was confiscated from a Moldovan-flagged freighter in 2013.

However, several port authorities are under house arrest while the investigation is being carried out, the Lebanese government reported on Wednesday. The exact cause of the explosion is unknown, so Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Head of General Security, rejected the accusations that Israel was responsible for the explosion and an Israeli minister told the Reuters news agency that the country had no nothing to do with the incident in the port of Beirut.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told a local television station that the explosion was probably an accident caused by a fire. Also, there are many videos that are circulating on the internet that show a second, much larger explosion that causes a mushroom cloud, and it can be seen how buildings are practically destroyed by the expansive wave.

The victims

Health Minister Hamad Hasan confidently told Lebanon’s national television that he fears that the number of victims will multiply with the passing of hours and days. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Red Cross made a call for blood donations and reported that many people remain trapped among the ruins caused.

Local media also reported that several hospitals had to divert the multiple wounded because they were full or too damaged. The Ministry of Health called on doctors to volunteer in the closest places they can reach, given the situation that hospitals are going through.

The Dieu hospital reported that more than 500 people had been admitted there and that it could not receive more patients.

Following several hours of tragedy, the prime minister announced a “national day of mourning” for this past Wednesday.

The damages in Lebanon Disaster

The photos and videos show significant damage to the infrastructure of the entire capital itself, not only in the areas near the place of the indicate. A BBC journalist reported from the ground that there were numerous bodies and that the damage was severe enough that the port of Beirut was left unused.

According to the US Seismological Survey, the explosion caused an energy similar to that generated by an earthquake of magnitude 3.3, although since it happened on the surface and not underground like earthquakes, the actual intensity was much higher. Internet monitoring service NetBlocks also reported that there was a significant interruption in the network connection after the explosion, although it indicated that the relationship with the events is not clear.

A huge explosion

Local media and witnesses said that the explosion left destroyed buildings and broken glass, practically throughout the capital, which shows a strong and powerful attitude on the part of the explosion. Residents of Cyprus, an island that is located about 240 km from Beirut, also reported feeling the blast wave.

Residents of the Cypriot capital Nicosia told the Reuters news agency that their house had shaken and also commented that they thought it was an earthquake.

Collateral damage

The explosion took place at a time when Lebanon was going through a serious economic crisis, the worst since the 1975-1990 civil war, and many fears that the destruction caused by it would directly impact the importation of food and other basic products.

Thus, numerous organizations have launched requests for help. The International Committee of the Red Cross has emphasized that enormous support is needed to face the devastation and has stressed that, apart from the loss of life and injuries, people have lost their homes and businesses.

The ICRC has honestly highlighted that the destruction of the port could have a devastating impact on the population due to the loss of capacity to import necessary goods, while also affecting the humanitarian supply route, some of which goes to Syria. The organization has further confirmed that it has delivered emergency medical supplies to 12 hospitals in and around Beirut, and has made progress in the forthcoming aid to try to ease the burden on health centers.

A crisis that embraces another crisis

Oxfam Intermón has joined the voices of alarm and emphasized that even before the tragedy, the country was already in a very critical situation, with the population struggling to cope with various and complex crises caused by the great economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. “The magnitude of the disaster means that hundreds of people need immediate help, including food, housing, water, fuel, protection, and support to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the future,” said the NGO spokesman in Lebanon, Bachir. Ayoub, who has emphasized that it is “a crisis within a crisis.”

“Lebanon was in trouble before. The economy has taken a nosedive, the local currency has lost approximately 80% of its value, and the last month has seen a dramatic increase in Coronavirus cases with hospitals already under pressure”, he highlighted.

On the other hand, the immediate priorities according to UNICEF ​​are to replace the medical products and basic supplies that the health services require, in addition to distributing water and hygiene materials. Bringing together children separated from their families and providing psychosocial support to those facing shocks, trauma and grief is essential, as well as working with young volunteers to support affected families in cleaning or eating tasks.

 

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