On Tuesday, August 4, a pair of explosions rocked the capital city of Beirut, with the second large enough to be felt 150 miles away, in Cyprus. The cause of the explosions in Lebanon’s capital city is still undetermined at this time, but the impact is already being felt on a mass scale. In addition to killing at least 100 people and wounding more than 4,000, the blasts also damaged structures across the city—displacing at least 300,000 people as of Wednesday—and rendered a large amount of stockpiled food supplies inedible.
It’s difficult to know how to best be of service when a tragedy of this magnitude strikes, but there are always ways to help. Hamad Hasan, Lebanon’s health minister, has said that the country is “running short of everything necessary to rescue” and treat victims. Below, find a list of other ways to help reduce the suffering of those affected by the Beirut explosions.
Lebanese Red Cross
This emergency-response unit provides relief to victims of natural and human disasters, and was trying to make its way to the blast site in order to treat the wounded as of Tuesday.
Impact Lebanon
This nonprofit is currently supporting first responders in treating those who have been injured in Beirut.
Save the Children
This youth-focused charity, whose own office was damaged in the explosion, has recently put out a call for donations, with country director Jad Sakr saying, “It is vital that children and their families get access to the services they urgently need, including medical care and physical and emotional protection.”
BASSMA
This nonprofit is devoted to rooting out poverty and economic injustice in Lebanon through delivering meals, sanitary products, education, job matching, and more.
Baytna Baytak
This charity, which provided free housing to health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now working with Impact Lebanon to provide shelter to people displaced by the explosions.
