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Lebanese public health crisis includes trauma, mental health after explosion

The Lebanese people, already reeling under tough economic, social and political conditions, face another public health crisis after the explosion on Aug. 4 in Beirut.
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On Aug. 4, Diana Saccal, 55, was alone doing some chores at her house in Hamra, located 3½ kilometers (2 miles) from the port of Beirut. When the explosion took place, the ceiling collapsed onto her head and glass shattered into her face.

“I didn’t understand what was going on and even though I was fully covered in blood, all I could think about was my daughter Lynn, who went out that evening,” Saccal told Al-Monitor. The worst sight was on her way to the hospital when she realized the extent of the damage to buildings and streets, and the innumerable wounded bodies. “It was like a zombie apocalypse horror movie.”

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