The double explosion of August 4 decimated the district of Karantina, east of the port of the Lebanese capital. This popular district for residential, commercial and semi-industrial use is among the most affected. Historically, it accommodated the sick who entered the Lebanese port in the middle of the 16th century. Today, its inhabitants are destitute. Many have lost loved ones, been injured, or seen their homes destroyed.
A few days after the explosion, only NGOs came to rebuild what had been demolished, broken, and looted. After two months of strict confinement in Lebanon where construction sites had to be suspended, they were able to resume their activities on February 22 with a limited quota. Among them ,offrejoie believes today that, despite the slowed pace of reconstruction, “250 out of 300displaced families were able to return to their homes, and the rehabilitation process reached60% of its target ”.
Seven months later, the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy which left more than 200 dead and 6,500 injured has still not been concluded. An additional burden for a population already caught up in political turmoil, in the midst of a pandemic. The civilian population continues its effort to provide shelter and dignity to the forgotten residents. Photographer Aline Deschamps followed the site over several months and documents this ephemeral ecosystem where volunteers, construction workers and local inhabitants meet.
The port of Beirut seen from the Karantina district on March 1. (Aline Deschamps)
Seven months after the double explosion, construction workers are working around the ruins of a collapsed traditional house in Karantina. The explosion, caused among other things by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, left more than 300,000 homeless. (Aline Deschamps)
Imad Mkhayil is a 67 year old Syrian living in Karantina since 2000. “Half of my house was destroyed, now I live in Dekwaneh neighborhood where I rent an apartment. Maybe OfferJoie will fix my house, I’m not sure. I’m still on the waiting list. My wife’s papers have expired, which is why she is stranded in Syria. It’s hard to be kept away from your family for that long. ” (Aline Deschamps)
Danielle Zaarour, 19, poses in her living room with the religious paintings, icons and sculptures she and her family have kept in their apartment while awaiting reconstruction of the Karantina church on November 19. “Our living room is crowded, but that prevents these works from being further damaged or from being stolen.” (Aline Deschamps)
The Karantina church under reconstruction on November 19. (Aline Deschamps)
On March 26, a resident of Karantina shows the extent of the work in the church six months earlier through images on his mobile phone. (Aline Deschamps)
Two young men are resting on a sofa in the popular district of Karantina on November 24. (Aline Deschamps)
Michelle, 71, French, came to volunteer. “I arrived on October 26, not sure what to expect. But I knew that I wanted, as much as possible, to help Lebanon, a country very dear to my heart. I lived there for nine years during the Civil War. I came to the site every day and I found an extraordinary dynamic there which gave me courage even when I lacked it. ” (Aline Deschamps)
Workers, employed by the NGOoffrejoie, saw stones for the reconstruction of destroyed buildings. The Lebanese NGO was one of the first on the spot, making up for the lack of state aid. Since the week of April 22, the NGO has been able to resume its activities after two months of interruption due to health restrictions linked to Covid-19. (Aline Deschamps)
Elias Dawoud, 63, has been a resident of Karantina since 2005. Seven months after the explosion, looking elsewhere, he regrets: “I don’t want to say anything because that would only be insults. Thank you to the NGOs, but not to the Lebanese government. ” (Aline Deschamps)
A construction worker works in a building in Karantina on November 19. (Aline Deschamps)
One of the main streets of Karantina, still devastated more than three months after the double explosion on November 18. (Aline Deschamps)
Vera Naccour looks thoughtfully through the window of her apartment in Karantina on November 24. Above her, the photo of her husband who died during the civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990): “He is always with me, and I still love him as much.” (Aline Deschamps)
Michelle Zaarour, 17, shows a photo of her scars from the double blast. About her entrance hall, she says: “Before the explosion, we had even more hookahs at home.” (Aline Deschamps)
Mahmoud al-Assad, a 26-year-old Syrian, fled the war before reaching Lebanon. He has lived in Karantina since 2007, alone in his yellow container. Road carrier, he unloads the arrivals from the port and delivers them daily by truck throughout the Lebanese territory. “On the day of the explosion, I was working with my employer’s brother. We were facing the explosion. I flew several meters, propelled through the air. All my container was destroyed, I had to rebuild my house on my own. Even though some say there is still sodium nitrate next to the port, I cannot move from Karantina. This is where I live at the moment. I hope someone will help me cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. ” (Aline Deschamps)
Anna Armao, nicknamed Anoula, was born in Lebanon to Greek parents. She has lived in Karantina since the age of 8. Due to the explosion, Anoula lost her right eye. “While I have always managed to fend for myself, and even at my age, I continued to work, today I can no longer do it. My other eye is getting tired. Even walking has become difficult, I am afraid of falling into a hole. I lost my eye, but luckily I’m still alive. ” (Aline Deschamps)
A banana tree miraculously grows amidst the debris of Karantina. On the right, on February 26, a car affected by the explosion is wrapped in plastic by its owner who does not yet have the means to repair it. (Aline Deschamps)
Georges Mrad, 21-year-old Lebanese student: “I come from Tannourine, a village in northern Lebanon. I arrived in Beirut the day after the explosion. I’ve been living here alone for almost five months so I can volunteer every day. Why ? Because this is my country, my people. It is our responsibility to remain united, to lend a hand for reconstruction. The first few weeks, the people I helped were strangers, but they became family. ” (Aline Deschamps)
On the left, the interior of a Karantina apartment waiting to be emptied and rehabilitated. On the right, the exterior facade of the church – destroyed during the explosion – completely restored since the end of the year so that the inhabitants can celebrate Christmas. (Aline Deschamps)
