She carried a poster of a friend who was killed in the blast, inscribed with the message "My government killed me". International probeDemonstrators lamented that security forces were using tear gas against blast victims instead of helping them clean their wrecked homes and find a roof. Lebanese aid groups have warned foreign donors that any financial assistance risked being syphoned away. 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 recent 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: Daily Nation August 10, 2020 15:56 UTC