Beirut- Lebanon faces criticism on its internal corruption after Germany’s foreign minister stated that the country needed to enact reforms as he toured the aftermath of Beirut’s port scene that was all that had been left of the devastating explosion that rattled the entire city of Beirut earlier in the month.
Ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse without safety since it’s confiscation in 2013 by corrupt Beirut port officials that had exploded on August 4 with a blast area that had left 172 people killed and 6000 people injured. The explosion left 300,000 people without habitable homes which brought about a world wide aid movement from UNICEF to its former-enemy, Israel.
“It is impossible that things go on as before. The international community is ready to invest but needs securities for these investments. It is important to have a government that fights corruption. Many in Europe have a lot of interest in this country. They want to know that there are economic reforms and good governance,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
The Lebanese people’s call to action for answers on the explosion has forced the resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab whose talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stalled due to internal discrepancies of the scale of the country’s financial losses, voiding the bail out.
The humanitarian aid pouring into the country was met with skepticism by the foerign governments as they felt that amidst forming a new government and dealing with the crises, their aid could be embezzled by the current Lebanese government. The foreign countries refused to provide solid funds to save Lebanon from its financial collapse until these reforms were made regarding the issues of waste, mismanagement, negligence, graft and corruption.
“Who knows what will happen. How will we get back to business?” said 74-year old Antoinne Matta whose shop was heavily damaged by the Aug 4 explosion..
Lebanon struggles to get back on its feet as the current government continues it’s investigation of the tragic august 4 explosion that blown away homes and shops that had put the country’s economy into a choke hold as business owners could not operate or continue their business due to banks freezing their funds for the economic crisis protocols.
Nagy Massoud, 70, stated that his apartment was ravaged by the explosion and that his pension sits frozen in his bank account that he cannot access due to controls prompted by the government’s directives during an economic crisis.
“Where is the government?” he said as he remains about the 300,000 Lebanese people whose home had been left unlivable.
