Tag Archives: Beirut

Philanthropy

Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) Launches Emergency Response for Families Displaced by Escalating Conflict in Lebanon

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LIFE Expands Emergency Relief Efforts as Displacement Nears One Million Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

According to Lebanese statistics for this month, more than 2,167 people have been killed, including 178 children and 262 women, in addition to over 7,061 injured, among them more than 600 injured children and 1,000 women, reflecting a clear and significant increase in the number of civilian casualties.

This escalation has led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million people within Lebanon, including approximately 370,000 displaced children, representing nearly 20% of the country’s population. Families have fled southern regions and the southern suburbs of, Mount Lebanon, and northern Lebanon, creating enormous pressure on cities and areas considered relatively safer, such as Beirut, Sidon, and Tripoli.

Displacement Crisis in Lebanon Leaves Over a Million Without Shelters

 Many displaced people are currently living in schools, shelters, and unprepared buildings amid a severe shortage of humanitarian assistance, while other families have taken refuge in improvised structures or even in vehicles due to the significant lack of available accommodation. Additionally, the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and refugees, face further difficulties in accessing shelter and assistance, in a context marked by attacks on civilian areas and residential homes, damage to infrastructure, and the shelling of ambulances and humanitarian aid facilities.

At the same time, the healthcare sector is under extreme pressure, with the risk that essential medicines and medical supplies—such as insulin, antibiotics, and surgical equipment—may soon run out due to the rising number of injured individuals and the growing demand for medical services. This is compounded by the shortage of fuel needed to operate electricity generators, a result of the chronic power crisis, which threatens hospitals’ ability to continue functioning, especially amid the severe shortage of life-saving medications.

The best meal Charity Initiative

On the living conditions front, the food crisis is worsening significantly, as hundreds of thousands of people face difficulties securing their basic needs due to rising prices, declining purchasing power, and the continued collapse of the local currency. Moreover, international aid has declined due to funding shortages, leading to increased poverty levels and food insecurity, along with water shortages and rising fuel prices, further intensifying the suffering of both residents and displaced populations.

Amid all these developments, the Lebanese economy continues to deteriorate, with rising unemployment rates and the suspension of numerous commercial and economic activities, pushing more families into poverty and increasing reliance on humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, international warnings are growing about the possibility of further deterioration in the coming months if military escalation continues and international support declines.

Life for Relief and Development has initiated an emergency response program in Lebanon, alongside its ongoing “Khair Wajbah” (Best Meal) campaign aimed at strengthening food security. The organization first began its humanitarian work in Lebanon in 2006, following the outbreak of war, when approximately a quarter of the population was displaced internally. During that period, and amid the widespread use of landmines and cluster munitions, Life concentrated its efforts on providing urgent relief and temporary shelter for affected families.

Education, Psychosocial Support, and Orphan Care

Samer Kassab, Coordinator of Life’s office in northern Lebanon, states:

“For emergency relief, Life distributed comprehensive food baskets—each containing around 20 kilograms of essential staples—to 525 families in southern Lebanon (Tyre), including displaced households in Palestinian camps, as well as another 525 families in Tripoli and Akkar. The team also organized a collective iftar for 200 families and delivered hot meals to 400 displaced households.

At the end of Ramadan and during Eid, the ‘Khair Wajbah’ initiative provided meals to 1,222 families across northern Lebanon. In parallel, Life organized an orphan-focused event where monthly financial support and Eid clothing were distributed, along with meals, gifts, sweets, and toys, contributing to both material relief and psychological well-being for children and their families.

Seasonal assistance programs were also implemented, including the distribution of winter clothing and essential supplies to vulnerable camp residents to ensure protection during harsh weather conditions.”

In addition, the organization has supported Lebanon’s education sector by facilitating the return of primary and middle school students to classrooms, rehabilitating damaged schools, and offering scholarships for university students—helping invest in long-term educational development for future generations.

Integrated Support for Vulnerable Populations

Engineer Mohammed Al-Sharif, Coordinator of Life’s Lebanon office, outlines recent humanitarian conditions:

“Our programs currently reach more than 103,000 displaced individuals across the country, 70% of whom are women and children. Over half of children under two years old are experiencing severe food deprivation, while nearly 80% of families require urgent humanitarian assistance.”

Approximately 1.17 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including 55,000 in emergency-level conditions. Camps and shelters continue to suffer from shortages of clean water, adequate nutrition, and sanitation services, significantly increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. The situation has further deteriorated due to expired medications, ongoing power outages, and fuel shortages.

Over the past three years, Life has strengthened its healthcare response by supplying hospitals with medicines, medical equipment, ambulances, and emergency relief materials, while also implementing sustained programs for displaced communities and refugees. Special attention has also been directed toward elderly individuals and people with disabilities.

Strengthening the Health Sector: A Core Priority

He further adds:

“As part of this month’s emergency response, Life has assisted 2,400 families by distributing ready-to-eat food packages, hot meals, emergency shelter kits (including mattresses and blankets), multipurpose cash assistance, hygiene kits, dignity kits for women, and essential supplies for children such as milk and diapers. Access to mobile medical services has also been ensured.”

Over the past year, Life has provided comprehensive medical support to six major hospitals across Lebanon, supplying essential medications, medical equipment, operating room tools, and emergency response materials.

The organization has also delivered medical equipment to L’Ecoute NGO in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which serves people with disabilities, and to Arcenciel in Beirut, supporting marginalized communities. Additional equipment was supplied to medical laboratories and to the Asile Maronite des Vieillards center in Mount Lebanon.”

For the Silo, Tasneem Elridi.

For More Information:

linktr.ee/LIFEUSA
https://www.lifeusa.org/lebanon-emergency-relief

Featured image- Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour

Culture

DTCare Reports Monumental Cleanup Task Following Deadly Beirut Explosion

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August, 2020 (Beirut, Lebanon) – Two weeks after a devastating blast in Beirut’s port area that killed close to 200 people and injured thousands more, cleanup efforts are still underway. According to locals on the ground working with American NGO, DTCare, they’ve barely scratched the surface of the monumental task of cleanup, and are now facing the looming threat of a COVID-19 shutdown. 

The DTCare Lebanon ground team, in coordination with their United States office, was among the first American NGO on the scene following the deadly explosion on August 4th. The organization had been in Lebanon developing an NGO to help Syrian refugees, and because of their close proximity, they were some of the first responders to the scene, able to mobilize and provide aid to the people of Beirut the same night of the blast.  

The DTCare team on the ground coordinated with the Municipality before the start of the cleanup mission and were allocated a specific landfill just 8 Kilometers away from the cleaning locations. Over the course of seven days, the DTCare team has cleared 200 tons of debris a day (1,000 tons) from the narrow streets of Beirut, a challenge considering the near-constant traffic paralyzing the mobility and speed necessary for machinery and volunteers.  

The blast destroyed a major grain silo, which is critical considering Lebanon imports a majority of their wheat. To help cope with the food scarcity, the DTCare team is distributing 10 rations, daily, to families affected by the blast. Currently, they have been able to distribute 55 food rations, with each ration capable of feeding a family of four for a period of three months. Items included in the DTCare ration box include rice, flour, sugar, salt, tuna, oil, mushrooms, beans, chickpeas, and local grains other than wheat.

For the mission, DTCare partnered with the Contingency Operations Group (COG), which has been set up as a special purpose vehicle for any and all matters with US Corporations represented in Lebanon, helping facilitate all of their business interests in the region. Being the first US organization to jump to the rescue of Lebanon in this time of crisis by sending funds, products and support related to the relief effort, DTCare gained COG’s trust, attention and priority. Their independent status has allowed them to be successful in their efforts, as they remain free of ties to specific religious or political affiliations. 

COG team members have served and supported the US troops who were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq under the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 2001 and through the extent of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 2003 to 2010. DTCare’s management team is very well versed in US defense contracting and State Department operations in the region, following all policies, procedures, regulations and, most importantly, transparency and compliance.

Although the operation is a small dent in the overall relief effort, the DTCare team has been incredibly effective and efficient in their mission, and will remain engaged for the duration of the cleanup effort. Currently, the team is racing to do as much as possibly before the rainy season arrives in October. DTCare predicts the cleanup effort to last between 3 to 5 months in total, weather permitting. For the Silo, Lainya Magaña.

Politics

Intelligence Operative- Iran Source Of Explosives Causing Beirut Nuke Like Destruction

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Beirut / Tehran – The 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate which caused a massive explosion in the port of Beirut originated in Iran before being loaded onto the Russian ship MV Rhosus whose cargo ultimately ended up being unloaded in the port of Beirut.

This revelation comes from an intelligence operative within Tehran’s government who has been secretly working with pro-democracy activists. The information comes from the NGO ‘The New Iran’ which has a track record of successfully smuggling sensitive information out of Iran, including much of the video footage seem in the media of widespread protests within Iran following the Iranian military shooting down Ukraine National Airlines flight PS752. 

Intelligence Operative Connected to Pro-Democracy Movement

The intelligence operative communicated the details over a secure messaging technology The New Iran uses for coordinating with their democratic allies within the country.  

Lebanese government sources have disclosed that the ammonium nitrate was seized in 2013. This date is perhaps significant the source says because it follows shortly after the opening of an ammonium nitrate factory within Iran.  

“Our source is risking his life to bring us this information,” says Dr. Iman Foroutan, Chairman of The New Iran, “because he believes that recent developments within the government are going to make these kinds of disasters more common.”

At the end of June, the government of Iran approved an agreement for a “25-year comprehensive cooperation plan between Iran and China.”

The two countries are calling it a “strategic partnership.”

The agreement is designed to help Iran get around the punishing sanctions of the United States, which more and more is being looked at as a common enemy by both Tehran and Beijing. China will be investing $400 billion USD into Iran with an immediate payment of $320 billion USD – a substantial portion of which is going into strengthening ports and military capability.  

“The Iranian regime is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” says Dr. Foroutan who along with other influential Iranians in exile are working to fully expose the danger of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s radicalism and eventually free the Iranian people. “Now with the cover of China, one of the world’s rising superpowers, Iran will be able to move more weapons and weapons components throughout the region and the world.” 

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has already twice threatened to blow up the port of Haifa in Israel. Hezbollah allegedly sought to acquire ammonium nitrate via Syria since 2009 and tried to infiltrate the agriculture ministry in Lebanon to do so, according to leaked diplomatic cables.  

In February 16, 2016 Nasrallah also said that ammonia is stored in Haifa and that there are 15,000 tons of gas Haifa and that explosions there might cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people. “the expert added that this is exactly like a nuclear bomb. In other words, Lebanon has a nuclear bomb. This is not an exaggeration.” Nasrallah laughs as he says this in the video. 

https://youtu.be/hp_Pdew_sG8

“With the agreement between China and Tehran allowing the regime to ship under the cover of China, potentially deadly materials like ammonia nitrate [may be] circumventing US sanctions,” says Iman Foroutan, “The next explosion may not be an accident.” For the Silo, Lance Laytner.