Two years ago, on August 4, 2020, an explosion rocked the port of Beirut, Lebanon, killing 218 people, injuring more than 6,500, and destroying thousands of buildings. “The first priority remains the formation of a government” declared Emmanuel Macron exactly a year ago, in front of the Lebanese population, without a government for almost twelve months.
>> Explosion at the port of Beirut: “The state is failing”, denounces the NGO Kulluna Irada, which calls for an international investigation
A year later, in the face of continuing political inaction, Karim Emile Bitar, a professor of political science in Beirut, feels desperate. “The Lebanese feel that those responsible for this explosion, or at least those who proved unable to take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening, continue to enjoy total impunity”he explains.
“The Lebanese are desperate not to see any political change on the horizon. Despite the election of some reformist MPs, the system is holding up.”
Karim Emile Bitar, professor of political scienceat franceinfo
Indeed, the investigation to determine those responsible for the explosion in the port of Beirut is stalling. This explosion was the final blow in a country already deeply affected by one of the most dramatic financial crises in the world since 1850 according to the World Bank, and by a movement of revolt by the Lebanese population, which did not succeed. expected political changes. Because even if elections were held this year, outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati was re-elected and no government has yet been formed.
The stigmata of the explosion are still present: in the walls but above all in the minds of each inhabitant of the Lebanese capital. Not a day goes by without Patricia Koder, spokesperson for the Care association and resident of Beirut, thinking or talking about the explosion. “It’s a city that blew up in our face while we were in itshe explains. And since then, we live with it. It is part of our everyday life.”
The reconstruction is not ready to be finished. For the past two years, it has been mostly NGOs that have been carrying part of Lebanon at arm’s length and mobilizing to move things forward. Nadim Assar works at Offre Joie: the association plans to complete its major project at the end of September in the Karantina district, very close to the port, “because it was one of the most affected” and according to him, “there is still a lot of work to do”.
“In total, there were at least 2,400 people who joined us. Since the state is completely inactive, it is up to NGOs to intervene at all levels.”
Nadim Assar, member of Offer Joyat franceinfo
According to Mona Fawaz, research director at Beirut Urban Lab, estimates that 40% of buildings remain to be rebuilt: “Reconstruction is not just about repairing homes. Disasters exacerbate inequalities, and good post-disaster reconstruction must take this into account. But it is also about bringing people together and shaping a story together so that residents can really go back to a neighborhood where they feel good.”
But for Karim Emile Bitar, “Lebanon will only be able to recover when it acquires state institutions capable of offering social safety nets and protection to the most vulnerable Lebanese, whose numbers are increasing day by day”. According to the latest figures from the World Bank, the poverty rate exceeds 82% in Lebanon and the damage to the port is estimated at 4 billion euros.