France, whose President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut after the blast, called for the “rapid formation” of a new government. But it remained to be seen whether the disaster will also have a lasting impact on Lebanon’s entrenched post-war political culture. ‘Direct’ aidDemonstrators said security forces had been using tear gas against blast victims instead of helping them clean their wrecked homes and find a roof. The Beirut disaster compounded what has become Lebanon’s annus horribilis, deepening a dire economic crisis which had dragged half of the country into poverty in past months. Adding to Lebanon’s woes, coronavirus cases are reaching new highs almost every day, putting further strain on hospitals that are treating blast victims and the dozens wounded in the repression of the protests.

Source: Manila Times August 11, 2020 01:07 UTC