Beirut Half a Decade After the Port Blast: Progress, Pain, and Unfinished Business
Five years after the massive port explosion that rocked Beirut, parts of the city still haven’t fully bounced back. While areas like Mar Mikhael and Gemmayzeh are showing signs of revival, with tourists, trendy cafes, and fresh coats of pastel paint, the scars of the blast remain visible and deeply felt.
At least 220 people were killed in the August 4, 2020, explosion, and thousands more were injured or displaced. Even today, the destroyed port and its surroundings serve as a daily reminder for many residents. Some buildings have been rebuilt, often through help from NGOs and the Lebanese diaspora, but others remain damaged or eerily empty.
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The Media Line’s article by Taylor Thomas, Five Years After Port Explosion, Beirut Neighborhood Has Yet to Fully Recover, captures the complicated mix of recovery and stagnation. It highlights how much of the rebuilding was done privately, while the state was largely absent. Urban planners quoted in the piece argue that the explosion exposed deeper problems—fragile infrastructure, government dysfunction, and lost social bonds that once connected neighbors in everyday routines.
There’s also a look at the downside of revival: rising rents, gentrification, and entire buildings turned into short-term rentals. For some locals, the city’s comeback doesn’t feel like a return home—it feels like being pushed out.
The article is a clear reminder that while Beirut may look brighter on the outside, the whole story is more complicated.
