ActionAid raises Beirut explosion to ‘Orange Alert’

  • Date: 12/08/2020
  • Author: Jo-Ann Ward

An explosion in Beirut, Lebanon has caused widespread damage across the capital, killing at least 163 people, injuring thousands, and leaving hundreds of thousands people homeless.  

The ActionAid Federation has declared this an Orange Alert. We are on the ground in Beirut working with local partners to support some of the worst-hit families with essential supplies like food, hygiene kits, masks and psychosocial support.

The scale of the emergency

Fifty per cent of people in Lebanon already live below the poverty line, and they have been with struggling with a surge of Covid-19 infections, as well as a collapsing economy.

Caroline McCausland, Director for ActionAid Arab Region says: “Injured residents are flooding hospitals pushing them past capacity, and the death toll is expected to rise as the clean-up operations get underway.

As well as this, a large amount of food and medical supplies were held at the port and the wheat supplies have been destroyed. Lebanon’s wheat reserve is only for 20 days, meaning a food crisis is imminent.

Beirut’s city governor Marwan Abboud said between 200,000 and 250,000 people have lost their homes meaning there is a huge need for alternative shelters. This includes the quick maintenance of doors and windows on the less damaged shelters to make it safer for women.”

If you would like more details on this or ways you can help, please call 01 878 7911 or email info@actionaid.ie and a member of our staff team will be happy to talk with you.

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