Lebanese officials say at least 100 people are dead  and more than 2,500 others were injured in the blast that caused widespread
 damage in the city.   / Voice of America Journal courtesy photo.






























Published Wednesday, August 5, 2020
World Offers Support, Condolences to
Lebanon After Devastating Blasts
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services

Close allies and traditional adversaries of Lebanon paid tribute on Tuesday to the victims of the massive and deadly twin blasts in Beirut, as condolences and offers of help poured in, reported Voice of America Journal on Tuesday.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called on "friendly countries" to support the country already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

Gulf nations were among the first to react, with Qatar promising to send field hospitals to support the medical response.

Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani wished "a speedy recovery for the injured."

The United Arab Emirates' Vice President and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, tweeted "our condolences to our beloved people in Lebanon."

Kuwait said it would also send emergency medical aid.

Egypt expressed "deep concern" at the destruction. The Arab League chief Ahmed Aboulgheit offered condolences, stressing "the importance of finding the truth about the explosions."

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Amman was ready to provide any help Lebanon needed, while Iran said it was "fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Stay strong, Lebanon."

Neighboring Israel also offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon, with which it is still technically at war.

"Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government, via international intermediaries, medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance," a statement read.

Outside the region, President Vladimir Putin said that "Russia shares the grief of the Lebanese people," according to a Kremlin statement. "I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected."

Washington said it, too, would help. "We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected, and stand ready to offer all possible assistance," a State Department spokesperson said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the country was "ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities".

Lebanese officials say at least 100 people are dead following a large explosion that rocked the port area of the capital Beirut on Tuesday.

Health Minister Hamad Hasan said more than 2,500 others were injured in the blast that caused widespread damage in the city.

Lebanese Red Cross official George Kettaneh said rescue efforts are underway and that people were still trapped in their homes and in other nearby structures.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the blast, but some local media reported it occurred in an area of the port where firecrackers were warehoused.

VOA reporter Anchal Vohra's Beirut apartment was damaged by the explosion.

The explosion came as a U.N.-backed court is trying four people from the Shi’ite Hezbollah group suspected of killing Lebanon’s former Sunni leader Rafik Hariri in a truck bombing 15 years ago, causing regional upheaval.

The court is scheduled to deliver a verdict on Friday that could shake the country again.

The blast also occurred during one of Lebanon’s worst economic and financial crises in decades and amid escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon’s southern border.

A White House official said President Donald Trump has been briefed on Tuesday's explosion. “Praying for the people of Lebanon. The President has been briefed. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” White House Director of Strategic Communications Alyssa Farah said.

At press time, the government of Costa Rica had not declared any condolences word to the people in Lebanon.


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