Greece has delivered a huge amount of humanitarian aid to the people of Beirut following the 4th of August explosion in the port of Beirut.
Over 180 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived in Beirut and will go towards rebuilding the damaged lives of the Lebanese people. The Greek Lebanese Cultural Union is one of the biggest donors and managed to contribute 51 pallets and 41 tonnes of aid to the collection.
The explosion killed over 190 people and caused thousands of injuries. It also left many thousands homeless. It is believed that the cause of the gargantuan explosion was tonnes of poorly stored ammonium nitrate that had languished in the port after a legal battle related to its ownership.
Fears were also raised earlier this month when even more ammonium nitrate was discovered, and two more fires broke out at the port.
The fires caused thousands to flee, fearing a repeat of last months' events. One of those fires completely gutted a Red Cross building in which a large amount of humanitarian aid from other sources was destroyed.
Experts believe that the explosion had the power of around 10% of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during the Second World War. Since the explosion, dozens of port officials have been placed under house arrest while further investigations take place.
The Greek Foreign Ministry released a statement in which it said:
"Following the deadly explosion that struck the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020 and its catastrophic consequences in human losses, thousands of injuries and incalculable material and environmental damage, Greece has been one of the first countries to express its active solidarity to the Lebanese people.
The Hellenic Republic responded immediately to the call for assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Lebanese Republic, by offering selected items of humanitarian aid," the statement said, adding that "today the Greek Navy ship 'Ikaria,' on its second trip to Beirut after the explosion, is delivering further significant quantities of food, medicine, medical equipment and construction materials, totalling over 145 tons (372 pallets, total weight:145.469,74 kg).
The above-mentioned provisions were collected as a result of cooperation between the Government of the Hellenic Republic and the private sector in Greece, in solidarity with the Lebanese people. This unprecedented mobilization proves one more time the strong bonds that tie the two countries and peoples"
Lebanon, even before the global pandemic and the explosion, was suffering one of the worst economic crises in its history and it looks as though many difficult years ahead now face the Mediterranean nation.
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