As many of us may have heard, a massive explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon on August 4th. It can be confusing to understand exactly what happened and why, so here is a brief overview that explains what happened and how you can help those affected.

What Happened?
On August 4th, an explosion occurred in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, killing at least 135 people and injuring around 5,000 others according to the Red Cross. The explosion created a blast that was so strong that it could be felt 150 miles away. The explosion also left an enormous crater larger than the size of a football field, approximately 405 feet. As such a catastrophic event occurred so recently, information about the explosion is still being covered, however, most people believe that it was an accident as the media has reported.

What was the cause?
While it is still unclear as to what exactly caused the explosion, the prime minister of Lebanon has stated that an investigation would take place to focus on the approximately 2,750 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate stored at the warehouse. It has been reported that Lebanese officials were aware of the dangers that came with storing ammonium nitrate at the port, they failed to take the proper safety measures.

What are the Effects?
As a result of the explosion, the capital is left with $5 billion worth of damage and thousands of people in Beirut now homeless. Four Bangladeshi Nationals were also killed and 100 others were wounded. In regards to the state of the city’s hospitals, Beirut hospitals have been overwhelmed by the number of casualties caused by the explosion and four of the hospitals are out of service. Furthermore, hospitals such as Rafik Hariri University Hospital that were already running low on supplies due to COVID-19, now may run out of supplies altogether due to the explosion. Unfortunately, the situation is only expected to escalate along with the death toll increasing due to the fact that hundreds of people are reported to be missing.

What Can You Do to Help?
Hearing such news can be devastating and many people must be wanting to help by donating money or supplies. Here are a list of of places that you can donate to to help those in Beirut, Lebanon:

https://impact.publicgood.com/campaign/e20043c4-fbac-4b26-bc1f-2cae69337391
https://beitelbaraka.net/
https://www.hi-us.org/beirut_explosion
https://www.impactlebanon.org/

If you are unable to donate, there are also several ways you can contribute to help those affected. There are a few videos to watch whose proceeds will be donated and a few websites where you click on the link and donations are generated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIbEe_ycWqw
https://youtu.be/la3E01gDcNE
https://t.co/JdTNyVxdlQ?amp=1
https://arab.org/click-to-help/children/

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