Assessment into damages caused by Beirut blasts continue

United Nations, Aug 18 (IANS) The UN along with its partners have continued their assessment into the damages caused by the devastating August 4 explosions that rocked the Port of Beirut, a spokesman for the world body said.

The statistics showed that an estimated 220,000 people have lost their jobs from the beginning of the October financial crisis while 70,000 people can no longer work because of the blasts, Xinhua news agency quoted Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as saying on Monday.

The figures did not include those who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 2,000 doctors have been either injured or their clinics destroyed, Dujarric said, putting the total number of buildings damaged at 40,000, including 3,000 residential structures severely damaged.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is mobilizing $35 million for its emergency response to the most vulnerable, refugees and migrant households in the Lebanese capital.

The agency said its aid stockpile in the country was not affected by the explosion, making available to the Lebanese Red Cross and other partners shelter kits, blankets, plastic sheeting, mattresses and other critical items for survivors.

In a related development, the spokesman said the Spanish contingent of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), operating in the mission’s East Sector has donated firefighting equipment to the Lebanese Civil Defense.

The donation to seven Civil Defense centres will help up to 175,000 people living in the Marjayoun district, southeast of Beirut, where the contingent is headquartered.

Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on August 4, killing over 177 people while wounding around 6,000 others.

Primary information reveals that ammonium nitrate stored since 2014 at the port’s warehouse No. 12 may have caused the explosions.

–IANS

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