The Beirut explosion and Lebanon, explained

It destroyed more than just buildings and lives.

By Aaron Zhao

On August 4, 2020, grey billows of smoke rose ominously from a warehouse, growing like a dark mushroom as it expanded into the air. Moments later, a deafening blast resonated throughout the city, a mushroom cloud shooting up into the sky and blowing apart everything in its circumference. It was the Beirut explosion.

The cause of the Beirut explosion was ammonium nitrate.

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound most commonly found in high-nitrogen fertilizer. Additionally, it is found in industrial explosives, commonly used for mining and quarrying. You can guess, it can have an explosive nature…

This chemical compound can decompose in two ways: non-explosively (into water vapour, oxygen, nitrogen) or explosively (into nitrous oxide and water vapour). For ammonium nitrate to explode, it requires either shock – that is some sort of nearby detonation that triggers the ammonium nitrate to explode – or a nearby fire, like in the case of Beirut. However, there is still ambiguity over the exact cause of the explosion, as there has not been enough investigation thus leading some people to believe the supposed “fire” was politicized. Trump says it was an attack.

The extent of the damage from this single explosion is absolutely horrifying. Not only did it kill at least 220 and injured 5,000 citizens, it also left nearly 300,000 people homeless. Furthermore, 10 to 15 billion dollars was lost. On that day, the Beirut explosion one of the largest non-nuclear explosions to ever scar the Earth, using over 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate in seconds.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen ammonium nitrate explode. Since the beginning of the 20th century, we have seen similar incidents occur around the globe. From the Oppau Explosion in Germany (1921) to the Tianjing Explosions in China (2015), each time they result in dozens, if not hundreds of injuries and deaths, along with devastated infrastructure. But for Lebanon, it destroyed more than just buildings and lives.

Lebanon has reached a cliff at the end of its downhill slope.

Before the explosion, the country of Lebanon was already falling apart. According to BBC, “a third of the population was living below the poverty line.” Food prices had nearly tripled. Poverty was creeping up as the lira further fell down. Crime rate was creeping up too. Fuel shortages and blackouts continued to darken the cities.

Lebanon is heavily reliant on imports, but as the country plunges deeper into debt, the price of food in stores has only increased. Consequently, so has food insecurity, the inability to access food and keep up good nutrition. As an ongoing economic crisis scathes the country, hospitals are meagrely funded. It’s hard to keep equipment running, or even provide care to patients. With COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, it’s even harder to get food on the table.

And now, after years of endemic corruption and an explosion, the Lebanon government has resigned.

The people who will be hit hardest are the refugees, who came with nothing, many who still don’t have anything. Syrian refugees alone make up 30% of Lebanon’s population, and medley of problems has only worsened their living conditions.

When a country is in an economic crisis ruled by a corrupt government, the worst, possible thing that could happen is a pandemic followed by an explosion. Without properly leadership, reform, or foreign aid, the entire country may approach its downfall.

What this explosion means for the world

This incident has casted light on the regulation of ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate is produced at over 20 million tonnes each year, so to find storages that contain a lot of it is not uncommon. Thus, regulating these storages is crucial in keeping safety.

Third world countries are at most of these type of incidents. Generally, they have lax regulations and aged technology, all of which are contributing factors to accidents that cause serious damage. As a counter example, let’s use Canada. Canada’s ammonium nitrate storages are federally administered by laws. They have to remain a certain distance away from schools, hotels, and other places where people may gather, and can only store 200 tonnes at most, according to CBC.

And don’t forget, third-world countries often can’t afford an explosion like how Western countries can if it does happen.

Lebanon should take this opportunity to rebuild, to reform, to rise from the ashes, like phoenixes, to rebuild the nation. This may sound overly dramatic, but what else can you do? Failure is just a form of success. Let’s pray for Lebanon.