2020 will be regarded as one of the worst years in Lebanese history because of an explosion that happened in the country’s capital, Beirut, on Tuesday.

What Caused the Blast?

According to Lebanese President Michael Aoun, the blast was caused by 2,740 tons of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse.

The explosion killed approximately 137 people and injured about 5,000 others as of the latest reports. Dozens of people are still missing and the incident has triggered a two-week state of emergency.

Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer in agriculture and as an explosive. It had reportedly been stored in the warehouse in the port for six years after it was unloaded from a ship impounded in 2013.

Beirut’s Residents are Angry

There is a sense of anger throughout Beirut. The BBC‘s Lisa Sinjab reports that the same people who protested in the streets last October are angry that their politicians failed to prevent this explosion from happening. It is staggering that this was allowed to happen considering the head of the port and the head of the customs authority both told local media that they had written to the judiciary numerous times asking that the chemical be sold or exported to ensure port safety.

This explosion will have a lasting impact on Lebanon’s psyche, alongside many other events that have damaged the country’s self-confidence. It is a desperate call for things to change in Lebanon.

How Can the International Community Help Lebanon?

Perhaps this is where the international community can play its part. French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country will provide aid to Lebanon if the political elite initiate wide-range reforms, and the Lebanese Government is not in a position to say no because of the state of the economy.

Time suggests that one in three Lebanese citizens are unemployed, the currency has lost 80 percent of its value against the dollar since last fall, and mains electricity is only available for a few hours each day. The lockdown made things worse. A July 28 report showed that almost a million people in greater Beirut do not have money for sufficient food.

Anger at Lebanon’s political elite has been growing for some time. Not long before the explosion in Beirut, Human Rights Watch submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council in advance of the next periodic review of its human rights situation in January 2021. The report suggests that Lebanon has not made progress on a number of recommendations it accepted following its previous review in 2015.

Lebanon Suffering from Widespread Corruption

The report states that Lebanese security forces have used excessive force on several occasions against demonstrators, especially following the nation’s October 17, 2019 uprising, often with impunity. Furthermore, prosecutions against people exercising their free speech rights have increased rapidly since 2015.

The rest of the report makes for grim reading. Lebanon’s penal code is still being applied to criminalize same-sex relations, and security forces have interfered with human rights events related to gender and sexuality based on spurious “morality” claims.

The nation’s dollar shortage has contributed toward the difficulties Lebanon’s health sector is facing as patients are not being provided with necessary life-saving medical care. This is because of the Government’s failure to provide public and private hospitals with the money it owes them.

The US Has a Part to Play in Lebanon’s Future

As the Council on Foreign Relations‘ Amir Asmar argues, the Lebanese people must yield positive change without embroiling the country into another civil war. Their desire to remove all sectarian considerations from government and policy is necessary for Lebanon to flourish, although it is unlikely to happen. Perhaps the explosion in Beirut could stimulate further demands for change, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has a role to play here due to the positive view many Lebanese citizens have of this institution.

With US support, the LAF helped defeat Islamic State. The US should have a stake in Lebanon’s future, too, because if they can assist the LAF in any way, then they can prevent Hezbollah and its Shi’ite militia from emerging as the only fighting force in the country.

The explosion in Beirut will have a negative impact on Lebanon’s psyche, but it could also be a moment for positive change. Lebanon’s people need to feel more optimistic about the future, but that will not happen without the aid of external forces. Will the international community heed this nation’s call for help?

L'articolo Beirut Explosion Will Have a Lasting Impact on Lebanon’s Psyche proviene da InsideOver.

A massive explosion shook Beirut on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The latest reports indicate that the incident caused 100 fatalities while more than 4,000 people were injured.

What Happened?

The explosion occurred in the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday evening. Footage published on social media showed a column of smoke rising in the vicinity of the harbor area, after which a pressure wave occured. The latter caused significant destruction in the streets of the city center. Even more than a kilometer away windows and balcony doors broke and collapsed and falling walls were seen. Large parts of the port have been razed, and many buildings in Beirut have been seriously damaged.

In the immediate aftermath, the Lebanese army helped bring the injured to hospitals and called for the donation of blood. As of Wednesday morning, the Lebanese Red Cross has put the number of deaths at least 100. More than 4,000 people are also injured, the aid organization confirmed earlier today. The number could still increase significantly, as officials in Lebanon say people are buried under the rubble. The governor of the capital spoke of a “national disaster comparable to Hiroshima.”

What Caused the Explosion?

While the exact reason for the explosion currently remains unclear, different speculations have been put forward.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Tuesday evening that a substantial amount of ammonium nitrate could have caused the detonation. An estimated 2,750 tons of the substance were reportedly stored in a hall at the port for six years without safety precautions. As Diab said, this was “unacceptable.” Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun has called for an emergency cabinet meeting this Wednesday saying: “I won’t rest until I know the person in charge and give him the toughest punishment.”

The explosion in Beirut from satellite

Ammonium nitrate, which can also be used to produce explosive devices, can detonate at high temperatures. The substance is used for rocket propulsion and above all for the production of fertilizers. The colorless crystals were also in the dangerous goods warehouse in the Chinese city of Tianjin, where 173 people were killed in 2015 after a series of explosions.

Alternate Theories About the Explosion

Other interpretations are currently still circulating. President Trump, citing his generals, stated the explosion in Beirut was an attack.

There has been armed conflict in the border area with Israel in the past few days. In addition, Israel’s air force had bombed Iranian targets in Syria that night. However, Israeli media, citing senior government officials, has stated that Israel was not involved.

The port is also an essential epicenter in Lebanon, which is notorious for corruption and mismanagement: millions of goods and money have been disappearing there in opaque networks for decades. Opposite the port area is the party headquarters of the Kataeb, the country’s oldest Christian party, but also the Ministry of Energy, in front of which people have been demonstrating for months against the inflated prices and low quality of state services.

Approaching UN Verdict on Hezbollah Attack

Moreover, a significant court ruling is also expected for this Friday: A UN special tribunal will then announce its verdict on four Hezbollah members suspected of being involved in the bombing of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri 15 years ago. A correlation between the ruling and the explosion was fueled by reports of a second explosion in Beirut near the Future Movement headquarters, Tayyar al-Mustaqbal, headed by Hariri’s son. Saad Hariri, who led the country as prime minister for a long time after the death of his father, announced his resignation in autumn 2019.

Lebanon is in Economic and Political Freefall

Lebanon is currently going through a period of considerable volatility: an economic and financial crisis has put the state on the verge of bankruptcy. Inflation and unemployment have risen rapidly recently, even the once broad middle class threatens to become impoverished. Despite urgently needed loans, the government was unable to agree on reforms required by the International Monetary Fund.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned on Monday after only six months because of the cabinet’s horrid balance sheet and only on Tuesday, demonstrators tried to storm the Ministry of Energy in Beirut after weeks of massive blackouts.

Meanwhile, UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres has already pledged to support the country, promising to actively help to process the incident and support the country in this difficult time.

L'articolo Beirut Blast Kills Hundreds, Injures Thousands proviene da InsideOver.

L'articolo Zimbabwe mining disaster proviene da InsideOver.