On August 4th, 2020, there was a massive explosion in Beirut Lebanon. The explosion killed over 200 people, left 6,000 badly injured, and left 300,000 people homeless. Hospitals were overwhelmed and jam-packed full of the injured and dead. Lebanese authorities have figured out that the explosion was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate which is a chemical compound most commonly used as a fertilizer. The ammonium nitrate had been stored in a port warehouse for about 6 years. It is still not clear what set off the chemicals.

In an article by Aljazeera, Mohommad Khalifeh, a former health minister describes what he experienced. “I shouted to my family to take care, there’s an earthquake – and immediately, everything collapsed,” he recalled. “I narrowly escaped this; I left my family and jumped to the hospital to save lives,”

“I have friends who live 10-15 minutes away who showed me their entire house was blown out. I am wondering how people are going to sleep tonight without windows,” Habib Battah, a journalist said.  “This country is not prepared for disasters,” he added.  “We always lived in the fear of a major catastrophe. A natural disaster, an earthquake … this country has no emergency readiness and no response. There are barely enough police to control highways which are extremely dangerous. In no place you will find the government trying to put regulations and safety for its citizens – so there are no highways patrols, no fire inspections of buildings.” he continues.

While the explosion only happened 4 months ago, Lebanon is still in need of serious help. The aftereffect of this explosion will be felt all through the country. Lebanon is in an economic crisis, political crisis, and health crisis. With Lebanon’s hospitals being jam-packed full of people, Lebanon needs more health facilities. The IRC (International Rescue Committee) launched an emergency response. They are providing care and support to those affected by the explosion. We must work together to rebuild Lebanon and make it stable again.