Recent Lebanese history is full of tragic events. Syrian refugees, corruption, the coronavirus pandemic and the destruction of the port have completely destroyed the economy.
The explosions in Beirut dealt a fatal blow to the entire economy of Lebanon: the port through which Lebanon imports almost everything it needs, as well as an elevator with a strategic grain supply, were completely destroyed. The country is under threat of famine.
As a result of the explosions of ammonium nitrate, half of the city suffered: some buildings were completely destroyed, some windows were broken. 300 residents of Beirut were left not only without housing, but also without work. The authorities estimate the damage at 15 billion dollars.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived in the capital, called the explosions "a metaphor for the current crisis that Lebanon is experiencing" and said that the country needed "a new political order." Correspondent.net tells the details.
High risk of destabilization of Lebanon
Lebanon is currently going through difficult times, connected not only with the coronavirus pandemic, but also with a severe economic crisis. Even before the pandemic, unemployment among young people reached 40 percent, while the system of communal services was collapsing.
The main wealth in Lebanon belongs to local banks and leaders of ethno-confessional communities who head political parties. The latter consider various areas of the economy and government departments as spheres intended for personal enrichment, and Lebanon is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
This system has been in operation for almost 75 years and even survived the civil war (1975-1990), but recently in Lebanon, questions are increasingly being asked about its effectiveness, since the country has been held hostage by several clans, and there has been little reshuffle of various figures in power. that changes
When the clans cannot find a compromise with each other, the country can live for months without a government or without a president, as well as without a budget and solutions to everyday issues. In addition, the composition of the population in Lebanon has long since changed: Shiites, who were once a minority, have become the majority.
Now social networks are spreading calls to the international community and citizens of Lebanon to send money to the victims, bypassing government institutions, so that the money does not end up in the pockets of corrupt officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first foreign leader to fly to Beirut after the explosion. At the airport, he said that now there was an opportunity to "lay the foundations for Lebanon's long-term recovery."
On the streets of Beirut, Macron was surrounded by a crowd of locals who asked him for help and begged him "not to give money to a corrupt government." In addition, a petition about the return of Lebanon to the protectorate of France, which was signed by tens of thousands of people, is spreading in social networks.
