A British newspaper published a report titled "Beirut Exploded Six Months Ago, and Lebanon is Now on the Verge of Collapse," noting that the country is heading toward total and complete collapse.
The British newspaper "The Independent" reported that "the country is moving towards complete collapse as it suffers under a threefold crisis: following the explosion that left vast areas of the capital in ruins, an unprecedented increase in COVID-19 cases overwhelming the healthcare system, and a financial collapse that has pushed more than half the country, with a population of 7 million, below the poverty line." The report explained that "Lebanon's economy is closely linked to the war-torn neighboring economy of Syria, which heavily relies on the Lebanese banking sector," pointing out that "the interim government in the country has been forced to impose a 24/7 curfew for three and a half weeks, one of the toughest lockdowns in the world, to try to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, the absence of strong financial support programs has triggered hunger protests across the country, particularly in Lebanon's poorest city, Tripoli, where bloody clashes erupted between protesters and security forces."
The report indicated that "despite having only implemented partial reforms in Beirut after the explosion, the government struggles amid a shortage of foreign currency needed to purchase supplies. Hospitals have now become major facilities for treating COVID-19 patients, overwhelmed with cases," emphasizing that "the anger over the lack of answers and the government's poor response following the explosion, during which citizens engaged in cleanup efforts, led to nationwide protests last year that resulted in the resignation of the entire government."
The report concluded that "six months later, the ruling Lebanese parties are still unable to agree on forming a new government, leaving the country in a political deadlock and hindering the delivery of external aid; the investigation into the explosion has stalled since December 17."
