The head of the League of Arab States (LAS), Ahmad Aboul Gheit, will travel to the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Saturday as a gesture of solidarity with the Middle Eastern nation in the wake of the devastating port blast, the LAS said on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) The head of the League of Arab States (LAS), Ahmad Aboul Gheit, will travel to the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Saturday as a gesture of solidarity with the middle Eastern nation in the wake of the devastating port blast, the LAS said on Friday.
"Ahmad Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, will head to Beirut on Saturday, August 8, in a solidarity visit with Lebanon following the disaster caused by the explosion in the Beirut port, in the result of which thousands of people were killed, injured and became homeless," the league said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.
This visit aims to express solidarity with the Middle Eastern nation, as well as mobilize Arab and international support to help Lebanon cope with the repercussions of "the recent catastrophe that may continue for a period of time in light of huge financial and economic issues" that the country has been facing for a long time, the LAS added.
Beirut was severely hit by the massive explosion late on August 4, with over 150 people killed and some 5,000 others injured, according to the latest data provided by the country's Health Ministry. Many are still missing.
According to the authorities, the incident was caused by the improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The three-day mourning period for the victims of the tragedy started on Wednesday and a two-week state of emergency in Beirut is in place, with a possible extension.
Apart from the devasting blast, Lebanon has been suffering from the worst economic crisis in 30 years, which has prompted mass nationwide demonstrations to break out across the country since October 2019 and resulted in the resignation of then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government.
