Cabinet declares state of emergency, port officials placed under house arrest

In response to the devastating explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4, 2020, the Lebanese government declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital. The explosion, caused by the detonation of approximately 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port, resulted in over 135 deaths, injured more than 5,000 people, and left approximately 300,000 residents homeless.

The state of emergency grants the military full authority to manage security in Beirut. In an immediate move to address accountability, the Cabinet decided to place all port officials who oversaw storage and security since 2014 under house arrest. This decision came amid revelations that customs officials had repeatedly warned about the dangers posed by the stored ammonium nitrate.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, pledged that those responsible for the negligence leading to the disaster would be held accountable. Meanwhile, international aid began to pour into Lebanon as countries around the world offered assistance to help Beirut cope with the aftermath of the explosion.

The Lebanese government also allocated 100 billion Lebanese pounds (approximately $66 million at the official exchange rate) to deal with the crisis, although the value on the parallel market was significantly lower due to the ongoing economic crisis.