Lebanon must allow international experts to probe the devastating blast at Beirut's port, given the government's poor record of investigating its failings, a prominent human rights group said Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) Lebanon must allow international experts to probe the devastating blast at Beirut's port, given the government's poor record of investigating its failings, a prominent human rights group said Thursday.
"International experts and international financial support will be essential for making sure the investigation is free from political interference and that victims receive the support they need," Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher from Human Rights Watch (HRW), said.
HRW cited media reports that claimed Lebanese judges had been told of a huge stockpile of highly combustible and potentially explosive ammonium nitrate stored at the port's warehouse for over six years but failed to approve its removal despite warnings that it could go off. The eventual blast this Tuesday killed more than 100 and injured thousands.
The destruction of the port, which handles 60 percent of the country's imports, has raised fears of hunger. Lebanon imports almost all of its vital goods and has been struggling economically even before the coronavirus pandemic.
HRW said donor countries must make sure that any humanitarian assistance to Lebanon is shared out transparently and impartiality, with due safeguards to avoid corruption. Victims of the explosion and their survivors must have adequate access to housing, health care and other basic necessities.
