This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
Beirut Blast Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Homeless ¶
On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion in Beirut's port area caused widespread destruction, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without homes. The blast, which killed over 100 people, has also caused significant economic damage, with the city's governor estimating the cost to be between $3 billion and $5 billion.
Marwan Aboud, the governor of Beirut, told AFP that between 250,000 and 300,000 people are now homeless. Engineers and technical teams have yet to conduct an official assessment, but Aboud said that the damage from the blast appears to have extended over half of the city.
International Support and Condolences ¶
As the world offers support and condolences to the people of Lebanon, emergency medical aid and pop-up field hospitals have been dispatched to the country. Kuwait has sent emergency medical aid to Beirut, and the Lebanese Red Cross has reported that over 4,000 people are being treated for injuries.
Countries from around the world have offered their condolences, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Israel, which is technically still at war with Lebanon, has also offered humanitarian aid.
UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed his deepest condolences, and US President Donald Trump said that the explosions appeared to have been caused by a 'bomb of some kind'.
