Devastated Beirut ground zero for aid blitz

BEIRUT, Lebanon－Assistance from a dozen countries and organizations is flowing into Lebanon, where the capital Beirut has been left reeling from the deadly explosions that devastated its port and set off an outpouring of international goodwill and solidarity.

The two huge explosions that rocked the Port of Beirut and surrounding areas on Tuesday left at least 137 people dead and 5,000 others injured as of Thursday.

According to local media, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud estimated on Wednesday that the explosions cost the city $3 billion to $5 billion in property losses, worsening the suffering felt by Lebanese from an economic crisis and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. That the blasts happened during a government reshuffle has added to the uncertainties.

Most of the shops in Beirut's downtown area, which is near the port, were destroyed. Buildings in other locations in the city were partly if not fully destroyed.

The president of the Syndicate of Hotels Owners, Pierre Ashkar, said 90 percent of the hotels in Beirut were damaged, with many hotel workers and guests injured.

The number of deaths is expected to climb as search and rescue efforts continue. While the cause of the blasts is yet to be determined, many are focused on the storage of chemicals at the port.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate－used in fertilizers and bombs－had been stored for six years at the port after the chemicals were seized. Pointing to this as a possible cause, Aoun promised a thorough investigation and to hold those responsible to account.

Besides the domestic civilian casualties, more than 100 United Nations employees were also injured in the explosions, including 22 members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon who were at the port.

"We expect that the damage to the port will significantly exacerbate the economic and food security situation in Lebanon, which imports about 80 percent to 85 percent of its food," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"This is a place that's used both for goods for Lebanon but also for some of our activities in Syria."

Many countries and international organizations, including the UN, the Arab League and the European Union, have expressed sorrow for, and condolences to, Lebanon over the disaster.

"Our heartfelt condolences go to the families who have lost their dear ones. Our thoughts are with those who are hurt and injured," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement on Wednesday.

Global sympathy

The disaster in Beirut has attracted worldwide sympathy and support as aid flows to Lebanon from the international community.

The World Health Organization is working with the Lebanese Health Ministry to assess hospital facilities in Beirut, their functionality and needs for additional support, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lebanon's neighbors in the Middle East also made swift responses on Wednesday.

Iran's Red Crescent Society announced the shipment to Lebanon of 2,000 packages of food, weighing 9 tons, together with medicines, medical equipment. Medical professionals are also on the way. They will help to set up a hospital in Beirut.

King Abdullah II of Jordan instructed that a military field hospital team be sent to Lebanon on Thursday.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Tunisian President Kais Saied ordered that food aid and medical supplies, respectively, be flown to Beirut. Supplies from Qatar and Kuwait have also poured in.

Across the Mediterranean Sea, the European Union has activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, under which officials will coordinate on the urgent deployment of over 100 firefighters－with vehicles, dogs and equipment－to help the Lebanese authorities save lives on the ground.

According to EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, the mechanism will bring together participants such as Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece and the Czech Republic.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on Thursday after promising to dispatch a civil security detachment, emergency doctors and several tons of medical equipment.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised her country's help for Lebanon.

After five Russian aircraft were reportedly sent to help in the removal of rubble from the scene of the explosions, Russia said on Wednesday that the country will send a group of rescuers to the Lebanese capital, together with an air-mobile hospital and a mobile laboratory.

Xinhua - Agencies