UN organisations step up efforts to help Beirut population

Multiple United Nations agencies made warning on Friday about the situation in Lebanon as they rushed to step up efforts to help the country, days after a massive blast ripped through the Beirut.

The explosion in Beirut's port sent a wave of destruction through Lebanon's capital, killing nearly 150 people and wounding thousands.

A spokesperson for the World Food Programme said the event may "exacerbate an already grim food security situation".

Elisabeth Byrs said the Mediterranean country imports 85% of its food and with damage to the city's port, the inflow of supplies could become limited.

Even before the blast, the country was mired in a severe economic crisis, which thrust it into uncertainty.

Now, hundreds of thousands have had their homes destroyed or damaged, said Charlie Yaxley, the spokesperson of UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

"The need for shelter is massive," he added.

The situation in the country appears "really dire", said Rupert Colville, the spokesperson of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Colville said calls for accountability must be heeded through an independent and impartial investigation.

Public anger has mounted against the ruling elite that is being blamed for the chronic mismanagement and carelessness that led to the disaster.

For decades, Lebanon has been dominated by the same political elites — many of them former warlords and militia commanders from the 1975-1990 civil war.