Even before this explosion struck, Lebanon was facing a crisis on multiple fronts ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Beyond the moment of impact, looking to recover and rebuild. Give Now




"At first we thought it was an earthquake that lasted unusually long… and then we realized that this was something bigger."

This is how Rafael Velasquez, Mercy Corps Lebanon Director, described the blast that struck Beirut just over 72 hours ago: It shook Lebanon’s capital like an earthquake. Now, 5,000 injuries and 157 deaths have been confirmed, with the tally of casualties still expected to rise.

Beirut, Lebanon
In the aftermath of the explosion that tore through Lebanon’s capital city, people are facing a crisis within a crisis as they look to recover and rebuild during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by STR/AFP)

As Beirut begins to clear away the shattered glass and rubble, our team in Lebanon has launched an emergency response to provide a lifeline of support for small businesses that have been affected. From our previous work there, this is where we see our opportunity to have the biggest impact. Your emergency gift to Mercy Corps’ Humanitarian Response Fund can help us respond to survivors’ needs in moments of crisis and natural disaster around the world and be there as communities recover and rebuild.

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After the explosion on Tuesday, more than 300,000 people are suddenly homeless in Beirut. But even before this explosion struck, Lebanon was facing a crisis on multiple fronts.

• Lebanon has had more than 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and this week reported its highest single-day number of infections after the explosion sent thousands of people into the streets and hospitals of Beirut.
• Nearly 1 out of every 3 people in Lebanon is unemployed.
• Lebanon’s currency has lost 80% of its value since October 2019, and the country’s economic collapse has affected vital business networks and jobs.
With over half Lebanon’s population employed in small and medium-sized businesses, any impact on their ability to operate hits families hard. For many families, if they don't work, they don't eat. Long-term recovery from this newest crisis will hinge on economic recovery.

Your gift to Mercy Corps can help families and communities in moments of crisis and beyond, so that a more prosperous future is possible.

Give Now

Just like an earthquake creates aftershocks, the ripple effect of this catastrophe will continue far beyond this week’s immediate destruction. Mercy Corps is responding in Lebanon, and our teams will continue to work with people in need as they move through the challenges and uncertainties of recovery. When you give today, recovery can happen more quickly in the weeks and months ahead — in Beirut and in other places around the world where families and communities are determined to move beyond the moment of impact.

Thank you for your generosity and compassion,

Adrienne Karecki
Adrienne Karecki, Mercy Corps Chief Development and Marketing Officer

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