On 4 August 2020, a massive double explosion in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon, devastated the surrounding communities, killing more than 200 individuals, leaving over 6,500 injured, and displacing 300,000 people. As a response, thanks to European Union support, INTERSOS has been implementing an EU-funded 6-months multisectoral assistance project to bring much needed assistance to families in Beirut blast-affected areas (primarily Karantina, Bourj Hammoud, Mar Mikhael, Jeitawi/Rmeil), providing critical shelter rehabilitation and protection services. This project is directly assisting 9,950 people and it is implemented in partnership with Acted, Concern, Lebrelief, SIDC, Arc-en-Ciel. The aim of the project is to repair and rehabilitate to safe and dignified standards residential units of affected individuals and to provide specialised protection services and case management to at risk and vulnerable individuals impacted by the explosion.
The picture above shows INTERSOS Shelter team hard at work surveying the damage of a home of one of the beneficiary households in order to prepare for rapid repairs. This apartment houses a family of four people with two children. The father suffered multiple injuries when the blast hit him, breaking his arm and shoulder. His wife remained the only one in the family able to generate income, which she has been doing by cooking and selling food on a very small scale from the home, barely providing the minimum needs of the family, and leaving the children out of school. The blast stripped the walls and ceilings, causing extra humidity and making the living situation hazardous for the family. The explosion also ripped the aluminium door off its hinges, hence leaving the tenants in the cold and with limited security.
The INTERSOS team has been helping the household to fix the damages and rehabilitate the apartment for a better livelihood for the children and the parents.