Believing that the danger is imminent, I address this open letter to the Lebanese state, and in particular to its relevant ministries, departments, councils and municipalities. Lives are not just numbers that are steadily increasing. What happened yesterday in Tripoli may be repeated tomorrow in any other place in Lebanon. Dilapidated buildings are no longer just a potential danger, but have become a direct daily threat to the right to life and public safety. Failure to conduct an immediate survey of buildings at risk of collapse constitutes a serious breach of the state’s duties to prevent and protect. The state is not only held accountable for what it does, but also, and fundamentally, for what it abstains from doing when the action is obligatory, and this abstention is considered a crime. The state’s philosophy should not be based on managing tragedies, but rather on preventing them from occurring. Action after the collapse becomes useless, merely enumerating the victims rather than preventing them from occurring. Victims are not greeted with statements of regret or lavish promises. Proactive action remains a moral obligation before it is legal. Preventing a disaster does not accept postponement or apology. Accordingly, we call on the president, council and union to:
First: Declare a state of construction emergency, conduct a comprehensive and immediate engineering survey of threatened buildings across the nation, publish the results transparently, define responsibilities, and take urgent measures to evacuate where necessary, and shelter families with dignity.
Second: Securing the necessary funding to stop this type of disaster as a priority above any other spending.
Official silence, or the throwing of competencies and shifting of responsibilities between departments, will not exempt anyone from accountability. Oh country, Lebanon is under rubble. Wake up, move, act, save your citizens, and do not wait for collapse to declare mourning. The state is not a funeral home, but rather a vast horizon of hopes and dreams, or so it is supposed to be.
