There Is A Giant, Rancid River Of Uncollected Trash Flowing Through Beirut
The stench is reportedly “toxic.” The issue began in July 2015, but resurfaced last week in the Lebanese capital.
Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 23, 2016.
Hasan Shaaban / Reuters
Beirut residents have been embroiled in a garbage overflow problem for months, which you can see from these photos stretching back to July 2015. The issue stemmed from competing government factions who were unable to reach a decision on how to work around the closure of the city's primary landfill site, Naameh.
A defunct collection facility, combined with heavy rainfall in the area, caused massive amounts of uncollected trash to flow into the streets of Beirut, bringing with it a stench so unpalatable that some have called it toxic.
Demonstrations led by activist groups like You Stink ensued, and while a waste management site eventually cleared the streets of its trash last July, the problem does not appear to have been completely solved.
A port in Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 19, 2016.
Mohamed Azakir / Reuters
Beirut, Lebanon, on Feb. 23, 2016.
Hasan Shaaban / Reuters