Lebanon’s spiralling political crisis


Aug 4, 2020: Massive blast kills more than 200 people, injures 7,500, and leaves 300,000 homeless

Explosion site
American University
Port of Beirut
BEIRUT
1km 0.6 miles


LEBANON
Beirut
SYRIA 
ISRAEL
40km 25 miles


Sep 29, 2019: Hundreds of people take to streets of Beirut in protest over economic hardship and dollar shortages

Oct 17: Mass protests triggered by $6 monthly tax on WhatsApp voice calls. Prime Minister Saad Hariri (inset) scraps tax, but protests against political corruption and economic ineptitude escalate

Oct 29: Hariri’s government resigns

Jan 2020: New cabinet under Prime Minister Hassan Diab (right) appointed.
Continuing protests are met with excessive force from security forces

Mar 9: Government defaults on repayment of $1.2-billion Eurobond

Mar 19: Authorities announce lockdown in response to pandemic

May 1: Diab seeks $10 billion aid from International Monetary
Fund. Iran-backed Hezbollah rejects IMF plan – negotiations flounder

Aug 4: Blast at Beirut’s port triggers public outrage

Aug 10: Amid growing anger, government resigns

Aug 31: Mustapha Adib named prime minister designate, pledges reforms

Sep 26: Adib steps down after reforms are blocked by Hezbollah

Oct 22: Hariri returns as prime minister, vows to halt collapse

Feb-Jun 2021: Price of bread and fuel rises by more than 35%. Lebanese pound plummets. Protesters try to storm central bank

Jul 15: Hariri quits

Jul 26: Najib Mikati (top) named premier as crisis escalates


Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, The Daily Star 
Pictures: Getty Images 
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