Reasons Why We Should All Pray For Lebanon

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Pray For Lebanon

On Tuesday, a deadly explosion rocked Lebanon, killing about a hundred persons and leaving 4,000 people injured. The explosion also left buildings partially or completely destroyed. The Beirut port was almost completely destroyed.

According to Aljazeera, Lebanese authorities have said at least 78 people (now about a hundred) have been killed and some 4,000 wounded in a massive explosion at the port in the capital, Beirut.

The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the explosion to some 2,700 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun assembled the country’s High Defence Council following the explosion.

Source: Aljazeera

Lebanon Explosion Video

Source: Twitter.com

How The Ammonium Nitrate Ended In Lebanon

“In September 2013, a ship headed from Georgia to Mozambique faced technical issues and had to dock in the Beirut port. Upon inspection, it was revealed that the ship was carrying 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate. The ship was forbidden to sail. According to a report published on October 15 in “The Arrest News”, a publication that reports on incidents of ship detainment.

After efforts to release the crew had failed, the ship’s crew hired a Lebanese firm to make a case to be allowed to leave, the ship’s owners had abandoned it. According to the report, the ammonium nitrate was unloaded and stored in the Beirut port because it posed a threat to the ship. The plan was to auction and resell the substance later. It seems, however, that for reasons unknown, the Lebanese authorities chose to keep the ammonium nitrate at the port instead of selling it. In spite of the knowledge that the substance is highly explosive”.

Source: Twitter

Before The Lebanon Explosion

Image Source: Twitter.com

After The Lebanon Explosion

Image Source: Twitter.com

The Failing Lebanese Economy

Image Source: Twitter.com

“The Lebanese economy is in freefall, plunging much of the country’s population into poverty. They are railing against a dysfunctional government.

Chronic mismanagement by consecutive governments, complex patronage systems that formed after the end of the civil war and so-called creative engineering on behalf of the Lebanese Central Bank resulting in what many call “a government-run Ponzi scheme” is at the heart of the implosion.

With negotiations on the terms of an IMF rescue failing, the Lebanese pound, which was once pegged to the dollar, has lost 80% of its value.

Hyperinflation has destroyed the spending power of all but a wealthy minority. Ali al Hassan, a retired junior army officer, found his monthly pension of $700 had plunged in value to little more than $100. Bread prices have increased by a third and meat is off the menu even for the Lebanese armed forces, who can no longer afford it.”

Source: The Guardian

The Suffering Of Women In Lebanon

“The report also found that Syrian girls had been subject to high levels of harassment from men in public places. Parents shared concerns about the safety of their daughters, especially as they believed kidnapping and harassment were significant risks for young women.

This perception reinforced protectiveness, providing reasons why they ‘were found to be kept indoors more than is usual in either Egypt or Syria’ and that their families ‘rarely take them out to entertain and socialize’. Further research that explored the experiences of Syrian boys and girls in Jordan and Lebanon have also highlighted the challenges confronting adolescent Syrian refugees.

A report by Mercy Corps found that many young females were ‘at risk of harassment and attack’ in public places such as the market place as well as ‘being harassed inside the homes by fathers, brothers and sometimes mothers’. Syrian girls had also experienced ‘verbal abuse’ and ‘feared beatings’, especially if they were to speak out about their conditions at work.

Education opportunities had also evaporated as attending schools had become ‘almost impossible’ resulting in many young Syrians having long breaks in their education. A study by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) also cast a wider view of how adolescent girls were coping in Jordan, especially with issues such as exploitation, violence, and child marriage, and found that girls continued to be harassed, especially by young men.”

Source: Plan International

With the economy in such a devastating state, women have limited access to healthcare and hygiene services. Products like sanitary pads and even diapers for the babies are in despairingly short supply.

The final word, Lebanon is going through a crisis right now and could really use our help🙏. Your prayers will greatly help in providing succor to those hurting right now. Good news, your money could help too! Donate to the Lebanon Red Cross to ensure that all those displaced and wounded people feel that there’s still good in this world.