Beirut explosion: Lebanon's Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad resigns

Lebanon's Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad announced her resignation on August 9, apologising for the catastrophe caused by the Beirut explosion. The resignation from Abdel Samad comes amid strong protests against the government over the blast at a portside warehouse which has claimed at least 158 lives and injured around 5,000 people.

The Information Minister said in a statement that the government couldn’t meet the demands of the public and the “reality does not match our ambitions”. She added that change in Lebanon remains elusive and the “horrible explosions” in the city has prompted her to resign from the government. A number of MPs have already submitted their resignations following the blast.

Several demonstrators stormed government building including the Foreign Ministry office on August 8 following the massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital. The demonstrators reportedly raised flags in protest and demanded resignation from the current government resign while calling for a political overhaul.

The governor, Marwan Abboud, had said that the damage due to the explosion in portside warehouse extends over half of Lebanon’s capital and up to 300,000 have been left homeless. He said that the cost of damage from the blast is over $3 billion, as it has severely damaged buildings and establishments in the city.

[A woman yells at Lebanese soldiers during scuffles with the soldiers who are blocking a road as French President Emmanuel Macron visits. Credit: AP]

[French President Emmanuel Macron hugs a resident as he visits a devastated street of Beirut, Lebanon. Credit: AP]

[Riot police advance to push back anti-government protesters in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 7. Credit: Hassan Ammar/ AP]

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Read: Beirut Blast: Protestors Storm Foreign Ministry Building, Demand Government To Resign

Aid Summit

International leaders will hold talks, hosted by France and the UN, via video conference at 4.30pm IST on August 9. US President Donald Trump is also expected to join the meeting co-ordinated by French President Emmanuel Macron. The aid summit will aim to mobilize Lebanon's major international partners and to organize and coordinate emergency support from the international community. It will try to address the most immediate needs in terms of medical, food, education and housing rehabilitation.

Earlier, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had said that the agency has allocated $15 million to Lebanon. UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock released $6 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help the response to the Beirut port blast, bringing the total to $15 million after UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon released $9 million from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund.

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(With agency inputs)