The UN human rights office is calling for an independent investigation into the Beirut explosion, insisting that “victims’ calls for accountability must be heard.”
Spokesman Rupert Colville of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights cited the need for the international community to “step up” to help Lebanon with both a quick response and sustained engagement.
He said Lebanon is facing the “triple tragedy of a socio-economic crisis, COVID-19 and the ammonium nitrate explosion" that devastated the capital on Tuesday.
Colville also called for the poor and most vulnerable to be respected as Beirut and Lebanon rebuild, and urged Lebanese leaders to “overcome political stalemates and address the grievances of the population.” That was an allusion to large protests that broke out in Lebanon in October.
The death toll from the blast has risen to 154, state news agency NNA cited Lebanon's health minister as saying on Friday.
Minister Hamad Hasan said one in five of the some 5,000 people injured in Tuesday's blast had required hospitalization, and 120 were in critical condition, NNA reported.
A team of 22 French investigators has started work in Beirut to search for evidence and bodies from the explosion and help Lebanese authorities determine what caused it.
President Michel Aoun said an investigation into the explosion was looking at whether it was caused by negligence, an accident or possible external interference, his office cited him as telling local media on Friday.
"The cause has not been determined yet. There is a possibility of external interference through a rocket or bomb or other act," Aoun said in comments carried by local media and confirmed by his office.
He said the probe into the blast at a warehouse housing highly-explosive material was being conducted on three levels. "First, how the explosive material entered and was stored ... second whether the explosion was a result of negligence or an accident ... and third the possibility that there was external interference."
Based on information from Lebanon so far, France’s No. 2 forensic police official Dominique Abbenanti said the explosion “appears to be an accident” but that it’s too early to say for sure.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he predicted that “the death toll will grow” as more bodies are found.
French investigators are involved at the request of Lebanon, and also because one French person died and at least 40 were injured.
Eric Berot, chief of a unit involved in the investigation, said the zone the investigators cover "is enormous. It’s a titanic job.” He added the investigation is complicated by the huge scale of the damage and “the Lebanese situation,” referring to the political and economic crisis in the country.
More aid
Meanwhile, international aid continued to pour in for the stricken country.
The United States has pledged over $17 million in initial disaster aid, the US embassy said on Friday.
It said in a statement that the aid included food assistance, medical supplies and financial assistance for the Lebanese Red Cross. “Announcements of additional aid and assistance are forthcoming,” it added.
The World Food Program plans to import wheat flour and grains for bakeries and mills to help protect against food shortages across Lebanon, the United Nations agency said on Friday.
"WFP is concerned that the explosion and the damage to the port will exacerbate an already grim food security situation – that has worsened because of the country's profound financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic," a spokeswoman said in notes prepared for a UN briefing in Geneva, adding it would be providing food parcels to thousands of families.
"WFP also stands ready to offer supply chain management and logistical support and expertise to Lebanon," it said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for $15 million to cover emergency health needs in Lebanon following the explosion, which destroyed 17 containers holding WHO medical supplies including personal protective equipment, the agency's regional office for the Middle East said in a statement late on Thursday.
Five hospitals in the area affected by Tuesday's blast are either not functioning or partially functioning, and early reports indicate that many health centers and primary care facilities are also damaged or out of action, it said.
Up to 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes and need food or shelter, which "also risks accelerating the spread of COVID-19 and the outbreak of other diseases," said Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative to Lebanon.
The WHO said that, together with the American University of Beirut, it was planning an environmental assessment on the impact of the fumes caused by the explosion of ammonium nitrate.
