On August 10, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned in the wake of a massive explosion at the port of Beirut that killed at least 178 people and injured thousands. The blast displaced an estimated 300,000 people, and Lebanese President Michel Aoun estimated the damage at the port to be roughly $15 billion. The explosion triggered widespread outrage among citizens, and has generated renewed protests—at times violent—against Lebanon’s political leaders. Diab’s resignation leaves Lebanon’s government in caretaker status with reduced authorities. Observers speculate that the country could become mired in months of government formation at a time of economic and humanitarian crisis, leaving it vulnerable to paralysis and greater social unrest. Policymakers may review U.S. assistance to Lebanon in the wake of growing humanitarian and economic needs, and in the context of potential shifts in the country’s political leadership.
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