Title: The Havoc of Beirut Airstrikes: A Painful Reminder of the Tragedy of 2020
On August 6, a shockwave rippled through Beirut. Two days earlier, the city had commemorated the 2020 port explosion that killed 237 people. The loud noise that rang out that day immediately evoked the harrowing memories of that tragedy.
It wasn’t a bomb or an explosion at the port; it was Israeli attack planes tearing through the sky, flying low at such high speeds that they broke the sound barrier. The blast and resulting shockwave are used as tools of psychological warfare, and it happened just before a scheduled speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
However, beyond the veiled threat of war from Israel, many residents, including migrant workers like Marian Sesay, have been plunged into terror. For Sesay, originally from Sierra Leone and living in Lebanon, these violent explosions reactivate the trauma of the past.
Indeed, on August 4, 2020, the Lebanese capital was rocked by the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate at the port of Beirut, killing hundreds of people, injuring more than 6,000 and leaving some 300,000 homeless. Sesay, who was working as a domestic worker near the port at the time, was deeply affected by the tragedy. She remembers the insomnia and constant fear of death that haunted her after the tragedy. Every noise is a painful reminder of that terrible event.
The situation of migrant workers in Lebanon, particularly under the Kafala system, has been exacerbated by crises, as evidenced by the Beirut explosion in 2020. These migrants, mostly vulnerable women, are often exploited and left behind during disasters.
After the explosion, humanitarian aid was prioritized for locals, leaving African and Asian migrants marginalized. Their suffering and contribution to Lebanese society has often been forgotten. Cameroonian Viany De Marceau, employed under the Kafala system, highlighted that even in death, migrant workers are not recognized or counted.
Israel’s psychological warfare, with low-altitude overflights causing deafening detonations, is rekindling the trauma of populations already affected by the tragedy of 2020. The Israeli state’s violent response to the attacks, which extends to Lebanon, highlights the devastating and ongoing consequences of war for innocent populations.
In sum, the devastation of the airstrikes in Beirut is a painful reminder of the tragedy of 2020 and underscores the need to recognize and support all affected individuals, regardless of their origin or social status.Lessons from the past must be learned to avoid repeating mistakes and perpetuating injustices.