Friend: A week ago today, a powerful explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, killed more than 150 people, injured another 6,000, and destroyed the homes of more than 300,000. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are on the ground providing medical care and mental health support to those affected by the blast.

MSF teams are going door-to-door, assessing the medical needs of affected communities. Thanks to the outpouring of interest and support from allies like you, Friend—MSF’s initial emergency response in Beirut covers three main areas: providing wound care for the injured, ensuring those with chronic diseases continue to get care, and providing mental health care for survivors.

We’ve established fixed points of care in the Mar Mikhael and Karantina neighborhoods to provide urgent health services such as wound dressings, rapid consultations, and mental health support. We’re distributing drinking water and hygiene kits in some of the hardest hit areas of the city, directly supporting families who have suddenly been left without a home.

MSF started working in Lebanon in 1976, sending medical teams to Beirut and southern Lebanon in response to the country’s civil war. Our teams have responded to many emergencies since then, but staff members say they have never witnessed anything like this. Tuesday’s blast generated seismic shockwaves that shook the ground, shattering windows, and destroying buildings across Beirut—a city already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in COVID-19 infections. Lebanon’s public health system has shown a lot of resilience throughout multiple crises but is now under severe strain.

As this crisis continues to unfold, MSF’s ability to respond to this and other emergencies depends on the continued generosity of our supporters. We’re grateful for your commitment to providing medical care to the people who need it most.
 

Read more about MSF's response at doctorswithoutborders.org