SHAFAQNA- The Mayor of Beirut called for aid to be sent to Lebanon following the explosion in the city, saying: “We cannot return to normalcy without Arab countries and international aid.”
“Mayor Jamal Itani” said: “The initial estimate shows that the damage could reach to more than $4 billion.” While noting that the Beirut explosion destroyed historic buildings and damaged others, he added that Lebanon needs a variety of medical supplies, food and firefighting equipment. The Mayor of Beirut noted: “Temporary housing has been provided for some people who have become homeless due to the explosion.”
Meanwhile, Lebanese Minister of Economy Raul Neema said that the Lebanese banking and economic system are not able to cope the huge amount of damage caused by Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut because the Lebanese economy is very limited and small. “Lebanon definitely needs foreign help to deal with what has happened in Beirut,” Neema added.
“We do not swim in a sea of money; the capacity and potency of the economy, the central bank and the Lebanese banks are very limited to deal with such a catastrophe; Many countries have come to the rescue, but the losses are enormous,” Neema said. The Lebanese Minister of Economy said that the only way out of the current situation is to negotiate and interact with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
This news is originally published by Shafaqna Persian and translated by Shafaqna English