As of August 04, 2020, over 4,000 were injured in the Beirut warehouse explosion. A state of emergency in Lebanon 2020 has been declared. Help is absolutely necessary for Lebanon at this time.
Lebanon Needs Your Help
“Lebanon is at great risk for a food crisis. Both the Human Rights Watch and the World Bank are predicting that over half of Lebanese households may not be able to afford to purchase food by the end of the year. A full collapse of the Lebanese pound has left thousands of Lebanese unemployed, desperate, and hungry. More than 220,000 jobs in the private sector have been lost since mid-October, and the unrest among the people has reached its boiling point.” — Wejdan Jarrah, UMR’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Representative
Lebanon is facing a sharp economic collapse and political unrest. It will take time to fully recover from the explosion. So, they need as much extra help as possible. Your contributions help doctors save lives, feed children, and provide the elderly with pain medication that they can no longer afford.
How UMR will Distribute Donations in Lebanon
Here’s how your contribution to UMR’s emergency campaign will support Lebanon:
Emergency Medical Intervention:
UMR already shipped its first medical shipment by air to Lebanon. Each health kit will help 10,000 people receive medical aid for 3 months. These emergency health kits include vital items such as:
- Gauze
- Pain medication
- Surgical instruments
- Gloves
- Masks
- Sterilizers
- Trays and more
Food Intervention:
Lebanon’s economy is not in a good shape. The prices of daily necessities is sky-rocketing.
Some statistics showing the economical crisis of Lebanon in 2020-
- The cost of household staples have risen up to nearly 70% — butter now sells for $8.00 USD, powdered milk costs $40.00 USD, and diapers cost up to $43.00 USD
- Over 2.2 million people are living in poverty in Lebanon. According to The World Bank, food insecurity numbers reinstate that “poverty levels could reach as high as 50% if the economic situation worsens.”
- More than 220,000 jobs in the private sector have been lost since mid-October, and the unrest among the people has reached its boiling point.
UMR has been working in Lebanon for years, providing cash assistance, food parcels, fresh meat, and medical assistance to the poorest areas of the country. Each package of ours typically feeds a family of 5 for an entire month. The items we provide are:
- Beans
- Rice
- Flour
- Pasta
- Oil
- Sugar
- Tomato paste and more
Beirut Cleanup:
UMR volunteers are organized on the ground in Beirut to help clean up the city and restore its peace. Cleaning up the debris from the streets is vital for the country to begin to heal.
As the country begins to rebuild after the explosion, Lebanon faces countless roadblocks.
An estimated 300,000 people are now homeless, more than half of the population is facing poverty, and hospitals are operating without electricity as doctors fight to save the thousands of people caught in the explosion. As the spread of COVID-19 overwhelms the region, unemployment rises to over 30%, and overcrowded hospitals oversee mortality rates, Lebanon now finds itself in the middle of a humanitarian disaster.
Rebuilding Beirut:
Our dedicated team has identified and begun construction on apartmentsin Beirut. We are on track to repair 40-50 apartments per week to ensure that families can safely quarantine.
UMR is restoring homes and apartments by rebuilding windows, doors, and more that were shattered in the blast. We are doing this by employing local workers and providing opportunities and jobs to people who need it most. As COVID-19 cases continue to hit historical daily highs in Lebanon, and with winter on the horizon and cold rains threatening to make matters worse, we are ask you to consider making a donation to support our work. One of the victim said,
“It still feels as if it happened yesterday. The exhaustion, the fear every time we hear something loud; the frustration, the worries… it’s still all there, and it will always remain there.
Your donations will allow us to expand and intensify our life-saving efforts for as long as it takes to rebuild this country.”
Click to Read More:
