At the Optimist Daily, we believe there is always something we can do to help those in need—even if those who need help most are across the world. If you weren’t already aware, the Lebanese capital of Beirut was devastated by a massive explosion that occurred in the city’s port warehouse district, flattening buildings across the city and taking many lives.
The explosion, which reports say was caused by ammonium nitrate that was improperly being stored at the port, comes at the worst possible time for Lebanon. The country is already dealing with an economic crisis on top of the coronavirus pandemic. As hospitals are inundated with new victims today, relief groups in the country need money and resources fast to tend to the victims in need. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can help right now.
The Lebanese Red Cross: Among other things, this group helps provide ambulance services in the country. It said on Twitter today that it has already set up “triage and first aid stations” to help people with noncritical injuries. The group could use donations. Find it here.
Impact Lebanon: This group is raising disaster relief through the crowdfunding site JustGiving. It has raised almost £150,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. Find it here.
Other local NGOs: Activists have been building a crowd-sourced list of additional local groups and resources on Carrd.co. Find it here.
Give blood: If you do happen to live in the area, a separate Carrd.co page contains a list of places to give blood. Find it here.
