UN says Lebanese, Syrians still suffer from Beirut explosion one year later
As public anger over a lack of justice grows, the United Nations said many children remain traumatized by the August 2020 explosion and that citizens who required assistance after the event are still in need.
Many Lebanese and Syrians are still suffering from the Beirut port explosion a year after the tragic event, the United Stations said on Tuesday.
The UN Children’s Emergency Fund released a survey for the one-year anniversary of the explosion. The blast took place on Aug. 4, 2020, when 2,750 tons of the flammable fertilizer ammonium nitrate caught fire in a warehouse in Beirut’s port and exploded. More than 200 people were killed and thousands more injured. More than 200,000 people were affected by the damage.
The survey was conducted in July among Lebanese and Syrians in Beirut who were affected by the blast, a UNICEF spokesperson told Al-Monitor. The survey found that 34% of families had children who were still exhibiting signs of psychological distress from the incident. Moreover, 43.6% had at least one family member who lost employment because of the explosion. Of those who lost jobs, 51% still have not resumed work.
Of those families who requested assistance such as cash or food following the explosion, an overwhelming 98.1% still need support. The survey also determined that 26% of those polled had seen at least one family member test positive for COVID-19 since the blast.
