Lebanon marks one year since the Beirut disaster: "Hostages of a murderous country" - Walla! news

2021-08-04T18:31:43.034Z

It has been 12 months since the blast at the port that killed more than 200 people and destroyed large parts of the city, and no one has been prosecuted. The investigation is stuck, and without a government international aid is not coming. "We have not forgotten yet, it is an hour of anger, sadness," said one resident. Macron has promised 100 million euros, the pope will come to visit

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Lebanon marks one year since the Beirut disaster: "Hostages of a murderous country"

It has been 12 months since the blast at the port that killed more than 200 people and destroyed large parts of the city, and no one has been prosecuted.

The investigation is stuck, and without a government international aid is not coming.

"We have not forgotten yet, it is an hour of anger, sadness," said one resident.

Macron has promised 100 million euros, the pope will come to visit

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Lebanon
Beirut

Reuters

Wednesday, 04 August 2021, 12:04

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(Photo: Reuters)

Lebanon today (Wednesday) marked the first anniversary of an explosion in the port of Beirut, in which more than 200 people were killed and thousands more injured, in the shadow of the anger and mourning of the residents and families of the victims. The disaster happened when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate held for years in a port without proper supervision exploded, destroying extensive parts of Beirut. It was one of the largest conventional explosions ever recorded, and was felt as far as Cyprus, more than 240 km from the Lebanese capital.

But 12 months after the disaster, no senior official has yet been prosecuted for the many failures that preceded it. after Rejected requests to investigate senior politicians and former officials, during which Lebanon suffers financial collapse paralyzing the country.

families of the victims protested demanding to do justice to their loved ones. "the neighborhood has changed, the climate has changed, everything changed in this neighborhood," said Habib Prem, 72, who was wounded in the explosion Causing damage to his home.He was dressed in black to mark the anniversary of the disaster.

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(Photo: Reuters)

The physical scars are still visible throughout Beirut, and parts of the port still resemble a bomb site.

A huge poster hung on a building overlooking the harbor read: "Hostages of a murderous country."

During the day, several rallies are scheduled, most of them at the port, and prayers after 18:00, to mark the time of the explosion.

"We have not forgotten yet, it is an hour of anger, sadness," said Jose Hilishian, a resident of the cute suburb of Burj in Beirut.

"My wife and I were on the porch, and we just found ourselves in the middle of the living room. My whole house was destroyed," he said.

He added that he would mark the anniversary with prayers for the victims.

"It's just a tragedy, nothing but a tragedy. Unfortunately we can say nothing else," said 62-year-old Avdis Carmelian.

(Photo: Reuters)

Even before the disaster, Lebanese citizens were already facing deep economic hardship, the result of decades of corruption and waste of public resources.

The crisis has worsened over the past year, after the ruling elite failed to form a new government to address the many problems, even as poverty rates soared and drugs and fuel ran out. The politicians, divided according to their testimony, are waging power struggles for positions in the new government that is supposed to replace the government of Hassan Diab, who resigned after the explosion but remains in office as transition prime minister.

"We are telling everyone without exception, our nation is in danger," said Najib Mikati, a former prime minister who was given a mandate last month to form a new government, in a statement marking the "painful" anniversary.

The political crisis prevents the passage of vital reforms that will bring assistance from the international community.

Later in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron will try to raise more than $ 350 million in aid to Lebanon at an international donor conference.

France has led international efforts to get its former protectorate out of the crisis, but its efforts have so far failed to bring about the consent of politicians to form an expert government.

Senior officials from the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank wrote in an opinion piece published today that the investigation in Lebanon is still stuck, "without an independent judicial system that can prevent political intervention.

" Write.