by Allison Lee
Hekmat Kaai, a Beirut bakery owner, arrived at a nearby port on August 4th, 2020. He took out his phone and tried to get a decent photo of the port before him. But the next thing he knew, a blast toppled him onto the ground. The earth shook. Windows shattered all around. When Hekmat got back up, clouds of red fumes were billowing from the site of the explosion. Someone was lying dead next to him. A woman was shouting for her daughter in despair, agony underlining her screams. Hekmat found himself evaluating the worth of a human being in this country. Beirut was destroyed in an instant. What happens now?
In early August, the capital of Lebanon took a pair of massive explosions, leaving the city in complete shambles. The explosion, which was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate (commonly found in fertilizers and explosives) neglected in a warehouse for six years, after it had been confiscated from a vessel in 2013, was heard 150 miles away in Cyprus and its effects felt in Israel, Syria, and Turkey.
The aftermath of the double blast was, needless to say, a tragedy: Dockside areas were destroyed, grain silos took a heavy hit, warehouses were completely demolished, and a ship was even blasted out of the water. Beirut Port, responsible for transporting food and supplies into the city, was rocked by the explosion; the lack of this vital infrastructure would later contribute to pre-existing problems in the country, as the flow of food supplies was now interrupted.
More than 6,000 were injured, an estimated 300,000 have been displaced from their homes, and another 180 were killed by the blast. Most medical centers were not operating, so those that were open were instantly overwhelmed. Medical staffs have taken outside of ORs and even the open streets to treat those who have been wounded by the blow. The city was a sea of calamity filled with shattered glass and casualties, enclosed by smoke (nitric acid) that is toxic if inhaled.
The Lebanese government has initiated investigations to get to the root of the explosion, be it due to negligence, accident, or as President Aoun put it: “external interference through a rocket or bomb or other act”. So far, it looks like the explosion was triggered by fire, but further examination has to be done to prosecute the culprit(s).
A Crisis Here, A Crisis There
The blast might have put Lebanon on the news, but the country has been dealing with its escalating share of problems for the last year. Summing it up, Lebanon has been left in a lurch to battle political unrest, an economic crisis, and a pandemic all at the same time. If that sounds eerily familiar to you, it’s because Yemen is already neck-deep in the chasms of these crises. Speaking of which, given the effects of the explosion and the pandemic, the UN has warned Lebanon of an impending humanitarian crisis of its own.
Lebanon’s “Thawra” (meaning ‘revolution’) saw peaceful protests demanding better from the government to lift the country out of the quagmire of problems it was stuck in. The revolution started in October of 2019 and was sparked by governmental corruption, electoral fraud, rising unemployment rates, and lack of access to necessities. In addition to that, the country’s national currency has lost more than 80% of its value since, ranking Lebanon’s inflation rate as third highest globally. However, it’s important to note that the main reason the people were fed up with the Lebanese government was that governmental policies and laws allowed for the elite to endlessly amass wealth even when the economic situation of the country was exacerbated by the Coronavirus.
Now, remember how the port was blown up and food supplies were considered scarce? Well, that, coupled with the crippling economy and pandemic, means Lebanon is well on the track toward famine, as if the people hadn’t had enough to deal with. Not only is it difficult for the locals to get food, the little amount they can get these days might even put a hole through their wallets bit by bit. The skyrocketing of food prices has left Lebanon on the brink of starvation, and suicide rates have never been higher, attributed to hunger and inflation.
You might be looking to the Lebanese government for help, for some kind of policy that will rebuild the entire country. Sorry to disappoint, but on August 10th, shortly after the blast, Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the entire Lebanese cabinet handed in their resignation letters. It doesn’t take long to figure out that they were incompetent in meeting the needs of the nation and when the going got tough, they fled.
Once again we are witnessing a government failing to live up to and serve its people. The people of Lebanon shouldn’t have been put through this tragedy just because officials negligently handled the confiscation of chemicals. They have worked through more than a decade of civil war and foreign invasion. Now, another hit? Lebanon isn’t given the freedom to live, its people are merely surviving to get by, and that’s not fair. I urge you to do what is within your power to help and bring Lebanon back on its feet.
How You Can Help
1. Donate blood. If you happen to live near the affected areas, the Lebanese Red Cross is looking for blood donations. This is urgent because hospitals all around Beirut can barely cope with the needs of thousands of patients. Every pint of blood could save someone’s life, and right now, that’s all that matters.
2. Donate money. By clicking on this Carrd, you can either donate to local NGOs or Emergency Relief Funds, both of which will direct your donations toward food, shelter, medical aid, reconstruction, and more. You can also donate to food banks! The same applies: Every penny counts. Just remember to donate in USD or pounds as the Lebanese currency is suffering right now and would mean little to the receivers.
3. Educate. The Lebanese have been catapulted into the throes of turmoil for years and it is our job to amplify their voices and make them heard. Spread the news; the wider our reach, the higher the chance that someone will donate to Beirut and aid in the reconstruction of what was once a beautiful city.
There cannot be peace until each country, neighborhood, and citizen is granted it.