Aid trickles in to Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on Thursday and promised aid but no blank checks, saying Tuesday’s explosion needs to be a turning point. “If reforms are not carried out, Lebanon will continue to sink,” Macron said. Small protests have popped up in the country as citizens decry government corruption and negligence—especially that of Iran-supported Hezbollah—that contributed to the disaster. While walking the streets in Beirut, a man told Macron, “We hope this aid will go to the Lebanese people, not the corrupt leaders.”

What aid is coming? Great Britain and Australia will send $6.6 million and $1.4 million in aid, respectively, with Australia’s contribution going to the Red Cross and the World Food Bank. A Russian cargo plane landed in Lebanon on Wednesday carrying a mobile hospital, emergency workers, medical personnel, and COVID-19 testing equipment. A C-17 transport aircraft brought 11 pallets of food, water, and medical supplies from the U.S. military’s Central Command in Qatar on Thursday, with more deliveries expected in the coming days. Other outside help includes search and rescue personnel and dogs to find missing persons. The official death toll stood at 137 on Thursday, with more than 5,000 injured and at least 350,000 now homeless.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report from January about Lebanon’s new government.