At least 159 people were killed during the explosions, which injured an additional 6,000 people and displaced up to 300,000 people from their homes. The blasts also destroyed three major hospitals in Beirut and at least 20 primary health centers sustained structural damage.
Relief International urges the public to support those affected by the Beirut blasts by visiting our website, RI.org, to learn more about how you can donate to the emergency response.
Relief International has worked in Lebanon for more than a decade, responding to recurring rounds of conflict and other humanitarian challenges. The explosions in Beirut on Tuesday were made all the more tragic given the grave fragility Lebanon faces today. Many families were already at their breaking points before the explosion as the country grappled with a major economic crisis, refugee crisis, and worsening COVID-19 pandemic.
In the immediate aftermath of this latest crisis, our team on the ground has donated reserves of personal protective equipment, or PPE, and critical medical supplies to the Middle East Institute Hospital and Sacre Coeur Hospital located on the outskirts of Beirut that are treating victims of the explosion while grappling with a spike in COVID-19 cases. We are also preparing to launch an emergency cash assistance program to put resources directly into the hands of families most impacted and displaced by Tuesday’s explosions in Beirut.
“Relief International is honored to ring the NYSE bell at a time when the world is united in support of the people of Beirut and all of Lebanon,” shares Relief International’s Chief Executive Officer Nancy E. Wilson. “Our teams are on the frontlines of this crisis, responding to the immediate needs of Lebanese and Syrian refugee families in Beirut who have lost everything in a matter of seconds.”
A livestream of the Opening Bell ringing ceremony will be available for viewing on the homepage of the NYSE’s website at: https://www.nyse.com/bell beginning at 9:25 AM Eastern Standard Time.
With the ringing of the Opening Bell, Relief International thanks our supporters and staff members who have come together to honor of all those affected by the explosion in Beirut, and to express our solidarity with the people of Lebanon in hope of speedy recovery
“Relief International could not do this important work without donors who stand with the people in Lebanon we serve, our partners for their unwavering support, and our staff for their incredible courage and dedication over the past six decades as we respond to the world’s worst humanitarian crises across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia,” said Wilson.
When:
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 – 9:25 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern Standard Time / 4:25 PM to 4:30 PM in Beirut
Where:
Virtual – Tune in tomorrow morning to stream the Opening Bell: https://www.nyse.com/bell
Relief International Media Contact:
Courtney Lobel
Senior Director, Development & Communications, Washington, DC
Kay Ali
Interim Deputy Director, Development & Communications, London
About Relief International:
For more than sixty years, Relief International has provided critical humanitarian aid and development programs for people living in the world’s most fragile settings, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Bangladesh. Our work focuses on four core sectors: health and nutrition, education, economic opportunities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Relief International’s 7,300 staff and volunteers globally have the experience and agility to meet the ever-changing needs of populations in vulnerable situations. We partner with them to develop a strategy for the future and create more enduring pathways to stability. For more information, please visit our website, RI.org, or follow us on Twitter at @ReliefIntl.