Hundreds of thousands of people in the Lebanese capital of Beirut who were made homeless following a massive blast at the city's port earlier in the month may face spending the winter months on the street unless drastic action is taken by the international community, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2020) Hundreds of thousands of people in the Lebanese capital of Beirut who were made homeless following a massive blast at the city's port earlier in the month may face spending the winter months on the street unless drastic action is taken by the international community, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Monday.
In a press release, the NRC said that an estimated 300,000 people were made homeless by the blast that ripped through the Lebanese capital on August 4, adding that their current living conditions could deteriorate further as winter approaches.
"With the cold weather around the corner, we're extremely worried about them having to face even harsher conditions than they are already facing now," Carlo Gherardi, NRC's country director in Lebanon, said in a press release.
Gherardi added that at the current pace, it was unlikely that tens of thousands of homes that suffered damage in the blast would be repaired in time for winter.
The NRC is calling on the international community to provide more resources to aid the repair efforts.
According to the Lebanese government, 190 people died and more than 6,500 individuals suffered injuries in the powerful blast that has been blamed on the improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at the port.
President Michel Aoun has said that the massive explosion caused more than $15 billion in damages.
