Children on the Edge
  • DONATE
    • Ukraine Appeal
    • Ramadan
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT US Overview
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
    • Media Centre
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
    • Coronavirus Response
  • SUPPORT US
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Fundraise for Us >
      • Organise an Event
      • Fundraise at Work
      • Clubs & Faith Groups
      • Schools
    • Take on a Challenge >
      • Virtual Challenges
      • London Landmarks Half Marathon
      • Run The Great South Run
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES
    • STORYTELLERS
Picture

LATEST STORIES

Click to donate

The aftermath from the Beirut blast

7/12/2020

 
Picture
Become a donor
The dire economic situation in Lebanon - that was already leading to food shortages and made far worse by COVID-19 restrictions - was further exacerbated by the massive chemical explosion in Beirut’s port on 4th August 2020. Our local partner Triumphant Mercy’s (TM's) administrative offices and Beirut community centre are approximately two miles from the epicentre of the blast and their metal shutter was warped and windows smashed. In the end, the explosion caused 193 deaths, around 6,500 injuries and left approximately 300,000 people homeless.

​
TM immediately mobilised additional resources (including recruiting volunteers and fundraising) to respond to the needs of those affected by the blast. We ran an emergency appeal and raised over £10,000 to contribute to their efforts.
Since the day of the blast, TM have worked tirelessly to distribute food and clothes, and had teams of builders fixing properties and installing windows before the harsh winter weather sets in. 

​
The first thing they did on the morning after the blast was set up a stand outside the hospital in the port area and hand out hundreds of sandwiches to those who lost everything, as well as to medical staff and people receiving medical treatment for their injuries. Volunteers worked round the clock for those first few days, making sandwiches for those going hungry. 

Staff and volunteers also quickly began work on the clear-up operation, literally taking brooms to the street along with other residents. The team were well-used to assembling, packing and distributing food parcels, due to all their work providing vital supplies during lockdown, when refugees and Lebanese poor were already unable to access enough food to survive. The blast worsened poverty and food scarcity further, so funds were spent on supplying 750 families with food parcels.
Picture
The TM team helping to clear the wreckage from the blast.
Once the initial acute need for food was being attended to, TM created six teams of construction workers, who volunteered their time to systematically fix buildings and replace broken windows in the worst-affected areas. Time was short - the bitterly cold winter was on its way. By December, 280 homes had been fixed by the teams and TM had funded repair work for a further 240.
Picture
“THE FEEDBACK WAS GREAT. PEOPLE WERE SO GRATEFUL. SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HELPED SAID THAT MANY NGOS CAME BY AND TOOK PICTURES BUT NEVER CAME BACK TO HELP WITH ANY REPAIRS. THEY SAID THAT WE’RE THE ONLY ONES WHO ACTUALLY CAME BY AND DID SOMETHING. PEOPLE FELT CARED FOR.”
NUNA MATAR, DIRECTOR OF TM LEBANON
300,000 whose homes were completely destroyed had lost all their belongings. Due to the economic situation, most did not have savings in bank accounts so were unable to replace basic necessities. So the next step was to provide clothes. Donations of second-hand clothes rolled in and TM set up rails on the street so that people could choose items of clothing for free. 
​

As well as practical support, TM hosted trauma healing workshops to help residents work through and come to terms with difficult experiences. 50 families attended these sessions. A further 300 families were visited by staff and volunteers, who listened to their stories and expressions of grief and anguish. This helped them to start processing their situation and losses. 
“I passed by your tent near Geitawi Hospital in Achrafieh today and got instant generous support. Feeling that someone actually helped was a very emotional moment for me. I was in tears in the morning and I feel my eyes welling up again now that I am writing about it. 

As a victim of the port explosion, I felt for the first time that someone was next to me. I came to you because my neighbors did, and because I am expecting no compensation from the state whatsoever. Also I came because I felt I needed to be part of the community and to claim my right to be helped. I also have to confess that in the back of mind, I wanted to prove to myself that you – like many others – are all fake. You proved me wrong.

​It’s the first time in my life I’ve had such help and it feels so strange, not only because it was so instant but also nothing was asked in return. I was at least expecting a long procedure, a visit to the house, to have to prove that my house was all gone. Nothing happened. You just took my word, and that meant a lot.

I am writing this message to say thank you. I feel I belong and I want to give back in any way I can.”
- Beirut Blast emergency appeal beneficiary
Picture

Picture
Find out about our work in Lebanon, working with Triumphant Mercy, to provide quality education in a child friendly environment for Syrian refugee children.
Read about our work in Lebanon

Sign up for e-updates
Make a donation

Support us

  • Give monthly Give monthly
  • Fundraise for us Fundraise for us
  • Receive our emails Receive our emails


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    RECEIVE OUR EMAILS

    Categories

    All
    Ambassadors
    Bangladesh
    Burma/Myanmar
    Chichester
    Child Participation
    Child Protection Team
    Child Sacrifice
    Coronavirus
    Dalit
    Early Childhood Development
    Education Loans
    Fundraising
    General
    #GetToKnowUs
    History
    Hope
    Humanitarian Relief
    India
    Kachin
    Kyaka II Uganda
    Lebanon
    Protective Environments
    Refugees
    Rohingya
    Schools
    Storytellers
    The Body Shop At Home
    #ThrowbackThursday
    Uganda
    UK
    Ukraine
    Volunteer
    Women's Rights

    Archives

    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011



    RSS Feed

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Click to donate

Get Involved

Become a Corporate Partner
​Email updates
Fundraise for us
Give Monthly
Grant Giving Organisations
​The Body Shop At Home
Volunteer

aBOUT US

​​How  We Spend Your Money
​
Latest News
​
​Past Projects
​Our Story
​Safeguarding
​Strategic Partners
​
Accessibility  | Annual Report  | Contact Us |Corporate Partnerships | Jobs | Media Centre | ​Privacy Policy | Shop | Resources​
Logo which says 'Registered with Fundraising Regulator'

Registered charity no. 1101441
REGISTERED COMPANY No. 4996130 

​Children on the Edge, 5 The Victoria, 25 St Pancras, Chichester,  West Sussex, PO19 7LT, UK | 01243 538530 | office@childrenontheedge.org 
  • DONATE
    • Ukraine Appeal
    • Ramadan
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT US Overview
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
    • Media Centre
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
    • Coronavirus Response
  • SUPPORT US
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Fundraise for Us >
      • Organise an Event
      • Fundraise at Work
      • Clubs & Faith Groups
      • Schools
    • Take on a Challenge >
      • Virtual Challenges
      • London Landmarks Half Marathon
      • Run The Great South Run
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES
    • STORYTELLERS