“This is an unprecedented critical situation. We have seen several stages of the civil war, but we have never seen such a powerful explosion that had such severe consequences. We are in shock due to the amount of damage and number of casualties. We will be in this situation for a long time,” the editor-in-chief of the Aztag Daily newspaper, Shahan Kandaharian, said during an online press conference organized by the Article 3 press club regarding the consequences of the explosion in Beirut.
He said that 11 Lebanese-Armenians were killed and 250 were wounded as a result of the explosion. “Unfortunately, these numbers may change. There are also people missing. I do not know how many of the people who are wounded are in critical condition. Some of them have already returned home after receiving treatment.”
According to Shahan Kandaharian, there are almost no families who lived in Armenian neighborhoods near the port of Beirut (where the explosion took place) who also did not suffer material losses. “Efforts to rebuild have already begun, but there are homeless families who have moved elsewhere.”
Shahan Kandaharian also said that some Lebanese-Armenians are also staying in cultural or political offices and centers. “Lebanon is already in a poor economic situation that was worsened by the coronavirus. The state is working to provide hotel rooms to homeless families. Armenian churches, centers, and offices were also damaged.”
The Armenian government will also be providing aid to Lebanon.
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Luiza Sukiasyan
