On Tuesday, August 4th, 2020, a massive explosion devastated the Lebanese capital, Beirut, causing widespread damage and casualties. Two blasts, which started at Beirut’s main port, have left at least 170 people dead, more than 6,000 injured, hundreds reported missing, and many families left without shelter. This explosion has been described as the biggest in Lebanon’s history and the second biggest after Hiroshima. It caused severe damage to the infrastructure, roads, buildings, and entire neighborhoods across Beirut as well as in some neighboring cities and areas.
The sudden devastation came at a time when Lebanon is severely overwhelmed, facing multiple complexities including an economic and financial crisis, political deadlock, socio-economic challenges, and rising rates of unemployment, poverty, internal conflicts, a pandemic, and most importantly, the mental and psychological health of its population.
The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) has been actively assisting in the immediate response to this catastrophe through the provision of financial, technical, and humanitarian support, by gathering an emergency response committee to face this colossal crisis. LOST’s central point tent for operation is built-in Beirut to secure the needs for shelter, food, clothes, baby supplies, medical care, emotional protection, helping small businesses to rebuild themselves, as well as clean up streets and damaged homes of affected families by the explosion.
Helping small businesses is LOST’s priority and LOST’s volunteers are working hard to support the families whose livelihoods are at risk of being destroyed. With over half of Lebanon’s population employed in small businesses, any impact on their ability to operate negatively affects families. For many families in Lebanon, if they do not work, they do not eat, which is only half of the problem. These small businesses in many Lebanese communities are the only sources of essential goods and services, including food. With Beirut’s main port heavily damaged and significant wheat stocks destroyed in the explosion, food will be even harder for families to obtain. This is why the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) is initiating an emergency response to get these businesses back on their feet during these dark days.
Many children in Beirut are experiencing signs of trauma following the explosion such as anxiety, night terrors, stress, anger, etc. At the same time, they are resilient and they have the ability to recover. Every conflict forces children to live through some terrible experiences. Indeed, millions of children have been present at events far beyond the worst nightmares of most adults. Time does not heal trauma, a child must be taught to express suffering and to confront bad memories, with the support and guidance of LOST. The very act of talking or writing about, or even acting out traumatic events is a way for a child to begin healing and to start the road to recovery. Offering assistance for people that battered Beirut’s explosion, gives them the feeling of not having been forgotten. Psychologically, it matters a lot not to feel alone.
Even those who were lucky enough not to lose a loved one, are still in shock. Lebanese people are hurting and need help, this is why the population does not intend to remain idle. In fact, despite all the trauma and the complexity of the situation, LOST team are doing everything they can to help Lebanon and their fellow Lebanese in need; through this initiative, LOST fulfills its mission for a better developed country.
