A collapsed building in Tripoli in northern Lebanon on Feb. 8 2026. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today)
NORTH LEBANON — Received by President Joseph Aoun, a delegation from Tripoli (Northern Lebanon) launched “an appeal for help” following the collapse of a residential building on Sunday in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood, a tragedy that killed 14 people and occurred just two weeks after a similar collapse in the city.
“We informed the president of the situation in the city following the disaster that struck Tripoli. We perceived his deep concern and sadness over the suffering endured.
The president is closely monitoring the repercussions of the disaster and is ensuring the implementation of measures announced yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Cabinet,” the delegation said after the visit, according to statements reported by the presidency.
The delegation also lamented that “Tripoli suffers from chronic marginalization that requires urgent attention. We are calling for help, as the situation is critical and the scale of the disaster in the region is immense,” the statement added.
The Nawaf Salam government decided on Monday, following an emergency meeting held in response to the series of building collapses in Tripoli, the capital of Northern Lebanon and the country’s second-largest city, to order the evacuation of 114 at-risk buildings within a month, covering housing costs for the affected residents.
Sunday’s building collapse killed 14 people and sparked a wave of anger and protests in the city from Sunday night into Monday.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Salam continued his contacts regarding at-risk buildings in Tripoli with Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, Social Development Minister Hanine al-Sayyed, Tripoli Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh, Secretary-General of the High Relief Council Bassam Naboulsi, and Head of the Disaster Management Unit at the Grand Serail, Zahi Chahine.
These discussions aim to monitor the implementation of the decisions adopted Monday at the Grand Serail regarding buildings deemed at risk in the city.
Evacuation order for a building in Qobbeh
Meanwhile, an immediate evacuation order was issued on Tuesday by engineer Hussein Youssef of the Tripoli municipality for residents of the Kabbara building in the Kobbeh neighborhood of Tripoli. Some residents, however, refused to leave despite the risk of collapse.
Amid rising tensions between residents and authorities, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) requested reinforcements from riot police to maintain order outside the building.
In a video shared by our correspondent, a resident known as Abou Ali declared he would not sleep in the street: “I will sleep at home even if they [the ISF] want to shoot at me. We are not animals. Where is the state? Where are the MPs?” he exclaimed.
Rifi vows to follow the issue through
Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi expressed on Tuesday his “gratitude to President Aoun for the attention he has given to the Tripoli case, and to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for developing a government plan for relocating and evacuating buildings at risk of collapse,” according to a statement.
He also thanked Minister Hajjar and the Lebanese Army for maintaining stability and preventing security breaches.
“I will follow this issue to the end and will not evade my responsibilities until safety is ensured, those responsible are brought to justice, the tragedy does not happen again, the dignity of Tripoli and its residents is preserved, and promises are translated into rapid and fair actions on the ground to protect citizens, restore trust in the state, and prevent future negligence. I also thank everyone who worked to save the population from this disaster,” Rifi said in a statement.
On Sunday evening, Tripoli Mayor Karimeh announced that he had submitted his resignation to the Interior Minister, considering that the city is “disaster-stricken” and that the municipality lacks the resources to cope with the risks posed by the very high number of cracked buildings — over 100 according to a 2024 municipal survey, the most recent available.
In the evening, Karimeh announced the launch of an emergency fund aimed at reinforcing dilapidated buildings and carrying out a comprehensive technical survey, under the supervision of the Order of Engineers.
“This fund will be managed through clear transparency mechanisms by three specialized committees: a governance committee, a financing committee, and a technical oversight committee,” Karimeh said, calling on “everyone who loves Tripoli, in Lebanon and abroad, to contribute to this fund in order to overcome this crisis and protect the city.”
Karimeh had previously announced that he had submitted his resignation to the Minister of the Interior, saying the city was “disaster-stricken” and that the municipality lacked the means to address the risks posed by the very high number of cracked buildings—more than 100 according to a 2024 municipal survey, the most recent available. He later reversed his decision.
Reporting by our regional correspondent, Michel Hallak.
