Beirut explosion: Macron to visit Lebanon as countries offer help to devastated city

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Beirut explosion: Macron to visit Lebanon as countries offer help to devastated city

7:52 CAT | 05 Aug 2020

Image: Euronews

As Lebanon struggles to cope with the aftermath of Tuesday’s huge explosion that devastated much of Beirut and caused widespread casualties, messages of support and offers of help have come from abroad.

France’s President Macron is to visit the country on Thursday to meet Lebanese political leaders including the president and prime minister, the Elysée Palace has said.

The country is also sending several tons of aid and emergency workers. Lebanon is a former French protectorate and the two nations retain close political and economic ties.

The European Union is sending around 100 firefighters and other material specialised in search and rescue, said the EU’s Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.

At this difficult time, the #EU stands by the people of #Lebanon. We are now coordinating the deployment of over a 100 highly trained firefighters,with vehicles, dogs & equipment, specialised in search & rescue to help save lives in #Beirut. My statement👇https://t.co/SxwKCwR7Fx

— Janez Lenarčič (@JanezLenarcic) August 5, 2020

The disaster has left Lebanon’s leaders, along with the rest of the population, deeply shocked.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun visited the site of an explosion on Wednesday. Earlier, Beirut’s governor, Marwan Abboud, broke into tears as he toured the site around the devastated port area. “Beirut is a devastated city,” he said.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab appealed for international help, as the government said offers of aid were pouring in from Arab states and friends of Lebanon.

Israel offers help

The explosion came amid ongoing tensions between Israel and the Hezbollah military group on Lebanon’s southern border.

Israel has offered “humanitarian and medical aid” to its Lebanese neighbour, with whom it is still technically at war.

President Donald Trump said the United States “stands ready to assist Lebanon”. At the start of a White House news conference on the coronavirus, he said the explosion “looks like a terrible attack”.

When asked by a reporter if he was confident that it was an attack, Trump said: “I met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo extended his “deepest condolences”. “Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis,” he said in a written statement.
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I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the massive explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4. We are monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this horrible tragedy.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 4, 2020

Concern over food supplies

On Tuesday, before the announcement of his forthcoming visit, Macron tweeted to say France “stood by Lebanon’s side,” adding that the country was sending “aid and resources”.

Nous déployons au Liban un détachement de la sécurité civile et plusieurs tonnes de matériel sanitaire. Des urgentistes vont également rejoindre Beyrouth au plus vite pour renforcer les hôpitaux. La France est déjà engagée.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 5, 2020

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said on Twitter that his thoughts and prayers were with those “caught up in this terrible incident,” and the UK was ready to provide support.

The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 4, 2020

The explosion raises concerns about how Lebanon will continue to import nearly all of its vital goods with its main port devastated.

There is also the issue of food security in Lebanon, a tiny country already hosting over 1 million Syrians amid the country’s civil war.

Estimates suggest around 85% of the country’s grain was stored at silos destroyed at the port.

Lebanon’s prime minister has vowed that “those responsible will pay” after the explosion.

Source: Euronews