WHO to ship $1.7 mln worth of PPE, humanitarian aid to Lebanon

A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. /AP

The World Health Organization (WHO) will ship 1.7 million U.S. dollars worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and humanitarian supplies to Lebanon following last week's deadly blast that left 158 people dead and more than 6,000 injured, compounding months of political and economic meltdown.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom made the announcement on Tuesday at a media briefing, where he reiterated the agency's solidarity with Lebanon.

"We're also mitigating the COVID-19 impact, addressing psycho-social needs and facilitating the rapid restoration of damaged health facilities," said Tedros.

The blast rocked the Port of Beirut at around 6 p.m. local time (1610 GMT) on August 4, shaking buildings all over the city and causing massive casualties and damages.

A general view of the damage caused by a blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon, August 8, 2020. /Reuters

WHO reports that more than 300,000 people were left homeless by the explosion.

The cause of the blast is being investigated. However, Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the cause of the massive explosion was 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse for six years. President Michel Aoun tweeted it was "unacceptable" that the explosives had been stored unsafely.

In his remarks on Monday, Tedros also issued an appeal for 76 million U.S. dollars to be directed toward recovery efforts of the Middle East country.