In the wake of the terrible explosion of August 4, many Lebanese in America are dedicating their time to respond to the needs of strained hospitals in Lebanon.
Cedars Relief, a grassroots diasporic coalition, began its journey on the GoFundMe platform to raise funds for the Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH).
The group was in contact with the head of the RHUH, Dr. Firass Abiad, to understand the hospital’s needs specific needs.
In only two days, the organization was able to raise $25,000 and provide medicine and medical supplies for Lebanon’s main coronavirus-fighting hospital.
Since then, the bottom-up organization has been committed to supplying Lebanese hospitals with dire medical supplies, equipment, medicine, PPE, and more.
“As our family and friends are on the streets of Beirut, cleansing, and protesting for a better Lebanon, we are putting our efforts towards providing direct relief to the people.”
Cedars Relief
Now, Cedars Relief is working with NGOs across the United States, under the Lebanon Relief Project and with diplomatic clearance by the U.S. State Department, to send emergency medical aid to Beirut and respond to the needs of local hospitals.
So far, they have carried out three successful Direct Relief missions to Beirut and will soon begin their fourth.
As part of the missions, they have sent packages to ANERA, which distributed medicine to hospitals in Lebanon based on the needs lists.
In addition, they helped facilitate the delivery of medication collected by other organizations intending to help Lebanon.
For the fourth mission, Cedars Relief collected 20 pallets worth of face masks and PPE to help Lebanese hospitals in their fight against the coronavirus.
Cedars Relief is continuing to collect additional donations of medications and medical and hygienic supplies, and accepting monetary donations to help pay off RHUH’s bills.