52 containers of hazardous materials from Beirut port awaiting removal
Last November, Lebanon signed a $3.6 million contract with German company Combi Lift for the removal of "hazardous flammable materials" after discovering that they were stored in the port of Beirut, which witnessed a horrific explosion months ago that killed at least 137 people and injured more than 6,500, and severely damaged the country's main port and several neighbourhoods in the capital. The Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, Michel Najjar, announced on Tuesday that there were exactly 52 containers of hazardous materials in the port. Following a meeting chaired by President Michel Aoun to discuss conditions at Beirut port, Najjar said the latter had given instructions to remove any hazardous materials. He added that he had requested exceptional approval to earmark part of the World Bank loan for reconstruction to finance the removal of hazardous containers at the port. Najjar noted that the process of packing these 52 containers began "more than a month ago"; the containers are now "ready to be shipped" to Germany.
Najjar added that President Aoun gave his "initial approval to allocate an amount from the World Bank loan to finance this operation", noting that part of this loan will be reallocated "to start a new process of drawing up a list of conditions for the reconstruction of the port according to modern principles". He continued: "Today we need a new master plan to rebuild the port and the situation in the country, and this scheme is a large and complex process that includes a legal, economic, financial and engineering part, which requires financing and time". The contract foresees the reloading of hazardous materials into new special containers that can withstand high temperatures and their transport out of Lebanon. The port administration will pay 2 million of the contract value, while the company pays 1.6 million, according to Hassan Diab, head of the interim government at the time.
The containers contain hazardous acidic materials that are flammable and react quickly over time, yet the relevant agencies, whether military or port administration, do not have the capacity to destroy the materials, which require expertise and technology not available locally. Minister Najjar confirmed, without elaborating, that there are many parties interested in participating in the port reconstruction process, including countries and companies that offered their services. On 6 February, the German embassy in Beirut announced the end of the processing of containers that had been present in the port of Beirut for more than a decade.
Added to this situation, the Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value since October 2019, when anti-government protests broke out, including more than 25% in the last few weeks alone. Inflation and commodity prices have soared in the country, which imports more than 80% of its basic goods. Meanwhile, senior politicians have refused to work together to form a new government that would implement the reforms needed to pull the nation out of crisis.
The currency collapse has pushed more than half of the population into poverty. It has also depleted foreign exchange reserves, raising concerns that Lebanon's central bank will not be able to finance subsidies for some commodities, including fuel, in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, lawmakers approved $200 million in assistance from the Central Bank's depleted reserves to go to Lebanon's electricity company. The transfer is to cover fuel purchases over the next few weeks to prevent the country from plunging into darkness.
The crisis represents the most serious threat to Lebanon's stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. France's foreign minister warned last week that Lebanon is running out of time before total collapse, placing the blame squarely on the country's leaders whose refusal to unite to form a government has exacerbated the crisis. The long wait for the funding needed to move the containers out of the country is a further factor in Lebanon's deepening crisis. Statements such as those of Combi Lift's marketing and communications director, Malte Steinhoff, are evidence of the disastrous situation: "We have packed the thousands of tonnes of hazardous/explosive materials that our company has processed. We are still waiting for the Lebanese authorities to make the first contracted payment for the shipment. "Please understand that we no longer wish to comment on this issue," he added.
