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ANALYSIS | Beirut will never be the same again

2020-08-06T08:16:19.915Z


Beirut has long been synonymous with the word explosion. The city was the main turning point in Lebanon's 15-year civil war, one of the longest in the world. And only in what ...


Beirut: From a Russian ship to a tragic explosion 4:49

(CNN) - Beirut has long been synonymous with the word explosion. The city was the main turning point in Lebanon's 15-year civil war, one of the longest in the world. And in the past 15 years alone, he has witnessed a series of murders, a civil conflict of days, a month-long international war, and years of economic and political turmoil.

Throughout these decades, Beirut residents tried to show the world that they were more than the sum of their crises. That for millions of Lebanese and hundreds of thousands of refugees living there, their home boasted views of verdant hills against a coastal marine blue background. There, deep community bonds were created and business and art proliferated in the streets full of anxiety. That the city was essentially human due to its ability to conquer the deluge of problems that arose from one of the world's most strained geopolitical failures.

But when a massive explosion in the country's main port swept through Beirut and the surrounding area on Tuesday, its people were finally left powerless.

The blast, which caused damage about 10 kilometers away, was the worst violent event the city has ever seen. Entire neighborhoods lie in ruins. Hundreds of thousands of city residents were displaced. The streets were covered with shards of glass. People sat on the sidewalks outside their destroyed houses, their faces soaked with tears. Screaming, the Beirutis frantically searched for their loved ones under the rubble. The screams of bloody babies echoed through the hospital wards full of wounded. Some of the doctors operated on survivors under the lights of cell phones due to frequent and long city blackouts.

In a city that for a long time was a mishmash of political, religious and economic differences, the damage did not evade anyone. At least 135 people are dead, with dozens more missing, according to the health minister. More than 4,000 people have been injured.

Beirut seeks responsible for the gigantic explosion 2:17

The port of Beirut, Lebanon's main lifesaver to the outside world, was destroyed and the vast majority of the city's residents were caught in an apparently endless sequence of desperate and apocalyptic scenes. Silence fell on the experienced inhabitants in conflict. The mysterious event sparked speculation, but the sadness seemed to have overshadowed the anger.

Responding to the condolences of a UN representative, Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut Carmen Geha tweeted, "Thank you, the only condolences we currently accept are those with the commitment of the international community to justice and aid."

"We are still counting our dead and removing bodies from under the rubble," he added.

Beirut will never be the same again, city residents and analysts said.

READ : Dangerous cargo of ammonium nitrate from a Russian ship was stranded in the port of Beirut for years

"It is a huge psychological moment," said Karim Makdisi, another associate professor at the American University of Beirut. "I don't think Beirut is the same after this. His line of contact with the world has been literally and metaphorically destroyed.

"As an individual moment, the explosion was incredible in its pure violence and symbolism."

In a country suffering from one of the worst economic crises in its history, the port of Beirut remained one of the few centers of active commercial activity. Even when the currency sank and poverty soared, shipments of goods continued to arrive.

Lebanon relies heavily on imports to meet its basic needs. The country's main grain silo was destroyed in the blast, raising fears of a severe wheat shortage in the coming weeks.

Authorities are trying to divert shipments to the much smaller port in the northern city of Tripoli, but there is concern that its port may not be capable of receiving large ships.

"Once the pain and shock subside, the anger and pain spill over into renewed protests and demand that these politicians for the past two or three decades be held accountable in some way," Makdisi said. "The other possibility is submission to the powers that be and a reduction of political groups."

READ : Nurse removed three newborns from hospital shaken by Beirut explosion

The most prominent theories about the cataclysmic explosion point to the negligence of the authorities.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who has branded himself a reformer against the established power, has vowed to hold the culprits accountable, noting that the exploded warehouse has been in "dangerous" condition for six years. Lebanese customs chief Badri Daher said he sent six memoranda to the judiciary warning of dangerous substances being kept in the port.

The military has declared a two-week state of emergency, adding to the deep sense of apprehension as city residents attempt reconstruction.

The blast came just hours after health officials sounded alarm bells over Lebanon's response to a recent spike in covid-19 cases. On Tuesday morning, the head of the country's main public hospital treating coronavirus patients announced that his facilities were nearing full capacity.

It was a statement that seemed to predict the worst case scenario for Lebanon's health system, which was already doubling under the weight of the economic catastrophe. Hours after the announcement, the blast sent thousands of people to Beirut hospitals.

A woman who was bathed in broken glass was transferred from one health center to another and was repeatedly rejected. She was finally admitted to a hospital in a mountain town, where she received 40 stitches.

A US citizen in Beirut told CNN that he visited St. George's Hospital in Beirut, one of two hospitals damaged by the explosion, where he offered to donate blood. The security guard rejected it. «We don't need blood, because there is no hospital. We are at zero, "said the guard.

Lebanon's health ministry has said it will set up field hospitals to care for thousands of injured people, but it is unclear how it plans to address its growing cases of covid-19 amid the devastation.

Good luck trying to close the door when most people are rebuilding their homes and two hospitals have been destroyed. Who is going to do the PCR? » Makdisi said, referring to the covid-19 tests.

“It is as if the coronavirus has disappeared, but it has not disappeared. It is as if the financial crisis has disappeared, but it has not disappeared, "said Makdisi. "How do you put these crises on top of each other and try to protest?"

"People have a feeling of loss and helplessness and everyone wants to leave and leave the country. They have given up on that.

A woman plays a popular Scottish theme, amid the pain in Beirut 0:44

Still, some protesters are defiant, believing that the new protests could once again chart a new political future.

And many are already furious.

Today we cry and help. Tomorrow we bury our dead, ”activist and comedian Shaden Fakih wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday. "Later, we will lift the gallows."

Beirut explosion

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-08-06

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