Year after Beirut blast, Lebanese civilians create a future
No Lebanese citizen who felt the shock wave of one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history will ever forget its destructive power – or that it signaled a new low of negligence and corruption for Lebanon’s political elite.
The explosion a year ago of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, poorly stored in Beirut’s port, destroyed swaths of the capital and enveloped the city in a shroud of trauma that left more than 200 dead and 300,000 homeless.
Lebanon marked the grim anniversary Wednesday with a day of mourning, and protests in Beirut demanding justice.
Yet even as Lebanon began last year to grope through one of its darkest moments, volunteers came from every corner of the country to help.
As if by reflex, Lebanon’s civil society swung into action, its skills well practiced after a 15-year civil war, multiple armed
Filling a vacuumBypassing failed government2022 electionsTapping civil society expertise