In Beirut, a year after the explosion, "it's a constant struggle"

INTERVIEW

"It's a constant war, a war for survival. Nothing is going on in the country."

Claude El Khal's words are very strong.

This independent journalist testifies Wednesday for Europe 1 of the situation in Beirut, one year to the day after the double explosion which destroyed the port and part of the city, but also caused the death of more than 220 people.

And in one year, far from having improved, the living conditions of the inhabitants have greatly deteriorated.

"It's a constant struggle", summarizes the reporter, visibly distressed.

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"Nothing is going well in the country. We are talking about more than 70% of the population who cannot eat properly", continues Claude El Khal.

"And there is no electricity or very, very little. There is no gasoline or very little. The fuel oil is lacking. Even the generators, which had to replace electricity when it is rationed. , are now themselves rationed. We spend every night in the dark, without electricity, without generator, without anything. I could say that every day is enough its trouble, but it's worse than that in reality. "

"People seem lost, as if crushed by a huge weight"

Under these conditions, the inhabitants of Beirut are forced to live from day to day. "It is better not to get sick and not need medicine. Recently, children have died from lack of medicine," says the journalist. "Every day that passes, we say to ourselves 'well, we are still here and we continue'. And it becomes more and more difficult. Many are thinking of leaving, those who can afford it, but the vast majority are imprisoned here, she cannot go and can only go through what is happening. "

And the approach of August 4 did not help.

"The closer we get to the anniversary date, the more the feeling grows. People seem lost, as if crushed by a huge weight. It's very difficult to explain, but you have to see the eyes of the people, which is terrible" , explains Claude El Khal, moved.

"We relive that, we relive that moment, that explosion. I don't even know if you can call it an explosion, because we've had explosions, all these years, with the war. But something like We haven't seen anything like it. Something seems to have broken inside of all of us. "

"People are so angry that it might overflow, it might get out of hand"

And what feeds the resentment of the Beirutis is that the scars of the explosion are still very visible. "The state is completely absent, totally, from the reconstruction effort. The reconstruction is supported by NGOs, people of good will, but it is not something that can replace a reconstruction made by a state organized, which we do not have ", indignant Claude El Khal. "The port is practically as it is. Today, in the buildings around the port, there are a few apartments that are inhabited because they have been remodeled, more or less. But everything else is destroyed."

Then anger roars. And a demonstration is scheduled for Wednesday to commemorate the disaster, but also to demand that justice be done, while the investigation is at a standstill. "I think there are going to be a lot of people, a lot, a lot of people," predicts the journalist. "People are so angry, are so exasperated that it might spill over. It might get out of hand. A situation like this can't really be controlled. So we'll see what will happen. But I think there will be a lot. people in the street.