Germany has pledged €20 million in aid following the devastating explosion in Beirut last week. But Heiko Maas is not going there just to offer his support.
Image: Reuters/T. Al-Sudani
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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has announced that he will travel to Beirut on Wednesday and demand reforms in Lebanon.
"We will make it very clear to those responsible that we are ready to help, but we also believe that this country must be reformed," Maas told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.
His comments came after an international donor conference on Sunday raised about €250 million ($294 million) in relief effort following a massive explosion in Beirut that killed more than 150 people last week. But that money has been linked to political reforms in the country.
Maas tweeted on Sunday that he pledged "a further €20 million …from humanitarian aid and development cooperation funds," saying "the people of Beirut need our help and they need hope."
Maas will not be the first European politician to visit the country since the blast. French President Emmanuel Macron went last Thursday and promised to deliver aid, but he also called for political reforms. Macron hosted Sunday's UN-backed donor conference.
Ongoing protests
Protesters have for months been demanding an end to political corruption and the country's financial crisis.
Former Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned one day before the explosion.
Information minister Manal Abdel resigned on Sunday and apologized for "failing" her country. Environmental minister Damianos Kattar also announced his resignation and Justice Minister Marie Claude Najm stepped down on Monday as well.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab is likely to call for early elections on Monday.
In pictures: Beirut blast aftermath — destruction, chaos and protests
A powerful explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing at least 150 people and injuring thousands more. Residents have taken to the streets to demand government reforms and resignations over the blast.
Image: Getty Images/D. Carde
Panic in Beirut
Two immense blasts shook Beirut and the surrounding areas of the Lebanese capital, prompting panic as residents rushed to safety. "I have never in my life seen a disaster this big," Beirut's governor told local TV.
Image: Reuters/M. Azakir
Blasts felt in city's outskirts
The explosions, centered in Beirut's port region, were felt throughout the capital. Even residents in the city's outskirts reported hearing the blast, with some saying their windows were shattered.
Image: Reuters/K. Sokhn
Dozens killed, thousands injured
Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 others were injured.
Image: Reuters/M. Azakir
'Unacceptable' ammonium nitrate stock
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that a large stockpile of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate in a warehouse at the port had caused the second, larger explosion. "It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures," Diab said.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/STR
Race to save survivors
More than 30 Red Cross teams raced to the scene, with many locals lending a hand to aid rescue efforts. Hospitals warned that they were quickly filled beyond capacity — and called for blood donations as well as generators to help keep the electricity on.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/H. Shbaro
Felt as far away as Cyprus
The blasts struck with the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake, according to Germany's
geosciences center GFZ. Residents in Cyprus, some 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, reported hearing and feeling the blast.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/STR
People are 'asking for their loved ones'
DW's Bassel Aridi said people were using social media to try to track down their loved ones after the explosions. Aridi also visited a hospital in Beirut after the blasts. "What I saw in the hospital was so dramatic. All the hospitals have announced that they are totally overloaded."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/H. Ammar
Two-week state of emergency
Lebanese authorities fear many more people are buried beneath rubble. President Michel Aoun scheduled an emergency Cabinet meeting for Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/STR
Lebanon faces double-blow
The devastating blasts come as Lebanon experiences severe economic turbulence, with many people taking to the streets in recent months to protest the financial situation. Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared that Wednesday would be a national day of mourning for the victims of the explosion.
Image: Getty Images/D. Carde
Protesters demand reforms and resignations
Thousands of protesters took to the streets four days after the explosion, blaming the blast on government corruption and mismanagement boiling. Protesters demanded government resignations and fresh elections, with many occupying government ministries. Police responded with tear gas.
Image: Reuters/G. Tomasevic
First resignation
Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad became the first government minister to resign in the wake of the blast, five days after it took place. "After the enormous Beirut catastrophe, I announce my resignation from government," she said in a statement carried by local media. She apologized to the people of Beirut for failing them.
