Professor Caroline Rooney, Professor of African and Middle-Eastern Studies in the School of English, has been interviewed on BBC Radio Kent this week about the recent warehouse explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
In the interview, Caroline explains the current economic climate in Lebanon, and how this has worsened the effects of the explosion which took place on 5 August.
Caroline says: ‘the economic situation in Lebanon is currently dire, and this was the case before the current disaster, with many of the poor being on the brink of starvation. Since October, the Lebanese Lira has become a failed currency with more and more people forced into destitution[…]This explosion has destroyed many homes, left thousands homeless and the port is destroyed. In addition, there’s shortages of medical supplies that has been exacerbated by this situation’.
Caroline goes on to discuss the background of Lebanon, which has recently seen uprisings which emphasise rejection of sectarian divide and rule politics, and embrace national unity, social justice, and welfare, often through cultural expression.
The segment featuring Caroline starts at 3’20” into the broadcast, which can be listened to on BBC Sounds, here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08l9z0m