The Communist Party extends it deepest sympathy and solidarity to the Communist Party and the bereaved people of Lebanon following the explosion in Beirut, the tragic deaths and horrific injuries of thousands of people in the city, and the destruction of hospitals, schools, homes, workplaces, and government offices which have collectively devastated the country.
We also extend our sympathy and solidarity to the Lebanese community in Canada, many of whom have lost relatives and friends in the explosion, and who are trying to reach and support family members who have been injured or who have disappeared in the disaster.
The emergency situation in the country is great because of the extent of the disaster, and it is worsened by the loss of vital infrastructure including hospitals, housing and shelters, clean water and water treatment, and food.
Without immediate support, a second catastrophe is certain.
News reports of re-escalating demonstrations in Lebanon directed against the government and corrupt officials are understandable in the wake of this tragedy, which is aggravating the dramatic social impacts of the economic and foreign debt crises the country was already facing.
However efforts by the EU, the US and Israel to use this tragedy to involve themselves in Lebanon’s internal affairs and to advance their own self-serving and exploitative interests in the Middle East are appalling and outrageous. This is aggression and must be condemned by the world’s peoples and by governments, including the Canadian government.
Further, the sanctions against Lebanon imposed by Canada and the US, must be lifted immediately. International assistance by the Canadian government – not punitive economic and technical sanctions – is urgently needed now to prevent an even greater humanitarian crisis.
Central Committee
Communist Party of Canada