A new victim of the 4 August blast and the Lebanese are still nursing their wounds
Dima Abdel Samad Kaiss, after succumbing to fatal head injuries, passes away, Oct 28, 2020, photo credit: The 961
Report by Fouad Kazan
Brief Overview
Till today, the Beirut blast’s death toll continues to increase, as a new person fell victim to it. Dima Abdel Samad Kaiss, who went into an 83-day coma from severe head injuries, finally joined our lord in heaven. According to various reports, she was present on the balcony at the moment of the blast. As such, she had been in a coma ever since. Her passing away is an example of unaccounted-for corruption that’s still rampant in the country. Various leaders have promised change and swift justice since the day of the blast, yet we have noticed nothing. Only empty speeches, fake meetings, and too good to be true promises, emanated from our so called ‘benefactors’. Even the Human Rights Watch labeled the local investigation done by state apparatus, as lousy and fraudulent. Just like the victims that fell in the explosion, and just like Dima, we citizens are still being treated as a statistic or number that will soon to be forgotten.
Unfortunately, for all those responsible for the disaster, we Lebanese will never forget nor forgive what had happened, not out of spite or hate; after all it is not the Christian way to do so, but it is out of honor for all those that had fallen.
Humanitarian Aid
Youssef Haidar, an ordinary architect, stands in front of a damaged historic building in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 27, 2020. HASAN SHAABAN/BLOOMBERG
Humanitarian aid to Lebanon, till this very moment, did not seize. UN-Habitat and UNDP have joined forces to empower municipalities in Beirut in the wake of the blast. Funded by the European Union and in cooperation with Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM), the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project (MERP), will allow the UN to share diverse experience and resources to enable local authorities and support them to achieve longer term sustainable development. On the same note, the UNIFIL completed the mission of clearing 11,500 tons of debris and carrying out construction works. Now, they have retuned back to the south to resume their initial duties.
Ordinary citizens are also continuously trying to rebuild and restore Beirut to its past glory. Bokja, a Beirut furniture design company revamped a neighborhood crowded with antique shops, following the massive Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut's port. This is to demonstrate how Lebanese are keen to undo damage done rather than waiting on the government to step in.
Communication and Public Relations Department