⁍ French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent support for Lebanon.
⁍ He arrived on Thursday, two days after a devastating blast ripped through Beirut.
⁍ The blast injured 5,000 people and left up to a quarter of a million without homes fit to live in.
– France’s president visited Lebanon on Thursday for the first time since an explosion at a port in Beirut killed at least 145 people and left a quarter of a million homeless, the BBC reports. “I see the emotion on your face, the sadness, the pain. This is why I’m here,” Emmanuel Macron said. “This explosion should be the start of a new era.” According to Reuters, Macron called for economic reforms and political change in Lebanon, which he said “will continue to sink” unless those reforms are carried out. Macron’s visit came as Lebanese officials blamed “inaction and negligence” for Tuesday’s blast at the port, which is believed to have been caused by huge quantities of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in unsafe conditions. According to the New York Times, the government has ordered port officials to be put under house arrest as the investigation continues.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-security-blast/macron-promises-to-help-mobilise-aid-for-lebanon-after-massive-blast-idUSKCN2520XJ