Over 60 tons of aid supplied by Direct Relief, an NGO operating in California, USA, arrived in Beirut on Monday morning.
In response to the deadly explosion that tore through the Lebanese capital earlier this month, Direct Relief partnered with the international delivery service FedEx to supply crucial medial resources to assist Lebanon’s medical response.
The aid includes medicines and medical supplies needed for diabetes and different neurological, respiratory, ophthalmological, and cardiovascular problems.
That is in addition to nearly 200,000 N-95 face masks and tens of thousands of medical gloves, protective overalls, and wound care supplies, all of which are worth around $11 million.
“FedEx has catalyzed and made possible a huge boost of urgently needed assistance to people in Beirut by providing its world-class team, logistics expertise, and aircraft,” said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe.
In Beirut, the supplies were received by the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), an NGO operating in Lebanon and other countries in the region, which will distribute them to select local clinics and hospitals.
The chosen recipients include the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH), the Lebanese American University Medical Center, and others.
In turn, Executive Vice President of Global Support for FedEx Express Richard Smith said: “On behalf of our 500,000 FedEx team members, we are proud to be able to use our global network to provide these lifesaving resources.”
“We are inspired by Direct Relief’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of others and we are honored to work alongside this incredible organization.”
Lebanon recently received aid from Egypt and Italy in addition to a promise by Kuwait to rebuild the silos at the Port of Beirut, which were decimated by the August 4th blast.
