“This is very sad, very sad,” said one of CEDAR’s partners in Lebanon after arriving at the scene of the disaster.
The explosion in the port of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, produced a huge mushroom cloud, and dense smoke engulfed the surrounding residential and office buildings. Up to the morning of 6th August, 135 people have been killed and 5,000 injured. Lebanese authority estimated that 300,000 people will become homeless. The mayor of Beirut said the explosion affected more than half of the capital.
After the disaster, the partner and its team rushed to the site, and found that the ground was scattered with glass fragments and bricks. It reflected the power of this so-called mini atomic bomb.
The partners listened to the families affected by the explosion and could not stop crying: “Even before the explosion, many of these families were in need of assistance as a result of Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis.” Lebanese are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The unexpected explosion undoubtedly worsened the situation for these vulnerable communities.
(The original video clips were provided by FFRL, one of CEDAR’s partners in Lebanon, and edited by CEDAR. [Chinese subtitles only])
In recent years, Lebanon has fallen into political and economic crises. The people have complained about the shortage of safe water and electricity supply. Coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year (5,400 confirmed cases have been recorded until 6th August so far), there were reports that nearly half of the country’s population has been living below the poverty line.
The big explosion almost destroyed the entire port terminal, and the country’s grain silos nearby the warehouse in the port area were also destroyed. The country might soon face a food crisis, and the local poor communities are pushed into an even critical situation. Faced with such a situation, the partners could not help but sighed: “Lebanon has always been a country of great resilience, but when is enough, enough?”
CEDAR calls on supporters to donate generously to help the affected communities. We allocated HK$400,000 to support Lebanese partners to carry out humanitarian relief work on the front line, so that the poor families can cope with financial difficulties and food shortage.
On behalf of Lebanese residents, we first thank you for the “cup of cold water” and walk hand in hand with us.
donation method
(Please specify: Beirut Explosion Relief)
After donation, please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque, bank-in slip or screenshot of successful payment along with your name, contact phone number and mailing address to us via mail, email or WhatsApp.
Address: CEDAR Fund, G.P.O. Box 3212, Hong Kong
Email: sharing@cedarfund.org
WhatsApp (for donation matters only): 5160 7549
- CEDAR is an approved charitable institution and trust of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please visit Inland Revenue Department website for details.
- CEDAR Fund will issue a receipt for a donation of HK$100 or above for tax deduction. For a donation of less than HK$100, please get in touch with us to issue a receipt.
- Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
If the donation exceeds the above mentioned allocation of funds, the excess amount will be transferred to CEDAR’s ‘Emergency Relief and Disaster Preparedness Fund’. The fund will enable us to respond to immediate needs, and support disaster mitigation in poor nations always being hit by disasters to reduce the amount of devastation.