The aftermath from the Beirut blast

7/12/2020

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.

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.

“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

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