Beirut Explosion: Canada Promises $5 million For Economic And Political Reform In Lebanon

Beirut Explosion: Canada Promises $5 million For Economic And Political Reform In Lebanon

Canada is emphasizing the need for economic and political reform in Lebanon over the long term as it looks at immediate ways to help the country following this week’s deadly explosion in Beirut.

Canada has so far pledged $5 million in emergency aid after Tuesday’s blast in Lebanon’s capital, and International Development Minister Karina Gould said the federal government will continue to help the country when it begins to rebuild.

Yet Gould also repeated long-standing calls from Canada and other countries for economic and political change to address the underlying problems that have left Lebanon heavily indebted — and which some have blamed for the explosion.

For many Lebanese, Tuesday’s giant blast was the last straw after years of corruption and mismanagement by a political elite that has ruled for decades.

The blast is believed to have happened when a fire touched off a stockpile of 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate that authorities left sitting in a warehouse for years — despite a customs official’s repeated warnings.

“We are ready to provide assistance to Lebanon,” Gould said during a news conference Thursday in Ottawa when asked about concerns with corruption and poor governance in the country.

“However, we recognize that that has to come with significant fiscal and political reforms to ensure that that assistance goes to benefiting the lives of the Lebanese people, and that is something that we have been very firm in,” he added.

Canada isn’t alone in highlighting those concerns following the explosion, which killed more than 130 people and injured thousands more. It also destroyed Lebanon’s main port and caused damage to much of its capital, leaving many residents homeless.