August 07, 2020

Support disaster relief efforts in Beirut

topic:	Humanitarian Aid
tags:	#Beirut explosion, #Lebanon, #humanitarian crisis, #donation
located:	Lebanon
by:	Yair Oded

A massive explosion tore through Beirut on Tuesday, 4 August, killing nearly 150 people and leaving thousands injured. The blast devastated entire neighborhoods in the city and exacerbated the distress of a nation that was already dealing with a crippling COVID-19 wave and acute economic collapse. 

Russian and French rescue teams have been dispatched to the Lebanese capital to assist the local efforts to search for survivors. As reported by CBC, the rescue teams have been recovering more bodies, and warn that the prospects of finding any more survivors are shrinking. 

The explosion took place near the Beirut Port and City Center area, when a fire broke out at a warehouse in which authorities had stored 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate since 2013, despite repeated warnings by a custom’s official. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated, and both domestic and international calls to hold those responsible accountable gain steam. 

The Lebanese society was already grappling with a growing number of concurring crises - from the coronavirus pandemic to a crumbling economy and a government that proved unequipped to care for its people. Now, the blast had exponentially exacerbated the plight of the people of Lebanon, creating a swelling humanitarian crisis that left an estimated 300,000 (including 100,000) without a home. 

Impact Lebanon, a nonprofit organisation working to bring justice and equity to the country has launched a fundraiser aimed at providing disaster relief to those impacted by the disaster. 

“From looking at the horrific videos of the blast, we knew that the destruction was massive and we needed to mobilise as many resources as possible to meet the growing needs on the ground as they became more evident,” the organisers of the fundraiser stated. 

Please consider pledging a donation by following this link. You can visit the Impact Lebanon website to learn about more ways in which you can support the relief effort in Beirut and contribute to their long-term goal of bringing justice to Lebanon. 

It is imperative that the international community galvanise and extend its immediate support to the Lebanese people as they grapple with the devastation, loss, and destruction left by Tuesday’s tragedy. 

Image: UNIFIL