Once upon a time, Lebanon was referred to as the Switzerland of the Middle East. Today, it resembles no such thing – especially after the devastating explosion on August 4.
In an urgent response to Lebanon’s catastrophe, Switzerland donated $554,000 to the Lebanese Red Cross.
It also pledged $4.4 million during the international donors’ conference organized by French President Emmanuel Macron.
After the explosion, Switzerland has been deploying teams of experts, including civil engineers, logisticians, medical teams, and more to Lebanon.
It is to note that the embassy of Switzerland was destroyed by the blast, and the Swiss ambassador to Lebanon, Monika Schmutz Kirgöz, sustained minor injuries.
Now, the non-profit organization Swiss Solidarity is calling for donations to help survivors of the explosion, which claimed the lives of over 200 people and left thousands injured and homeless.
Swiss Solidarity already has eight partners in Lebanon that are working on the ground to help relieve Beirut. Its partners are:
- Caritas
- The Swiss Red Cross
- MSF/Doctors Without Borders
- Handicap International
- HEKS/EPER
- Medair
- Save the Children Switzerland
- Terre Des Hommes – Child Relief
“It is not just about finding survivors in the rubble and providing the wounded with medical care…,” said the NGO, “It is also about the 300,000 people whose homes were destroyed in the explosion.”
Assistance to Beirut has shifted from just urgent rescue and medical aid.
Now the focus is on helping fund families to repair their homes so they can regain a semblance of normal life, as well as providing psychological support to children and adults who were traumatized by the explosion, and helping coronavirus patients as the virus rapidly spreads.
