Beirut Port Explosions Response – Bourj Hammoud Municipality Rapid Building-Level Damage Assessment

The Port of Beirut explosions (4 August 2020) resulted in extensive damage on multiple levels – the loss of life, injury and the destruction of vast tracts of urban fabric within the municipal boundaries of Beirut and Bourj Hammoud. In support of the Municipality of Bourj Hammoud, UN-Habitat together with the Polish Center for International Aid, Naba’a and Beirut Arab University, undertook a rapid damage assessment at the building level (exterior visual survey).

The assessment covered all building types, dividing them into four categories (unsafe/evacuate, restricted use, safe/minor damage and not affected) in order to understand the extent of damage, particularly structural impacts, as well as immediately identifying buildings at risk of collapse and in need of evacuation. The assessment provides a basis on which to formulate recovery and reconstruction measures with regards to building damage rehabilitation.