Scenes of devastation following a huge explosion in Beirut leave no doubt as to the immediate and urgent needs of the more than 4,000 people injured. Humanity & Inclusion's 98-person team in Lebanon, alongside a network of partners, are mobilized to deliver expertise and resources to those in need.
Emergency evaluations conducted by Humanity & Inclusion in Beirut’s hospitals reveal that common injuries include complex fractures and amputations to extremities, such as fingers and toes. Many have already undergone surgery and will quickly need physical therapy and mobility aids, such as wheelchairs or crutches, to begin their recovery.
Humanity & Inclusion has worked in Lebanon since 1992. Caroline Duconseille, Humanity & Inclusion's Head of Mission, was on a roof terrace of Humanity & Inclusion’s offices in Beirut's Achrafieh quarter (just over one mile from the explosion site) at the moment of the explosion. “I felt the building tremble slightly," she recalls. "Then we heard the first explosion with white smoke, shortly followed by an enormous one and lots of orange smoke. The chairs began to fly everywhere and all the glass in the building opposite shattered. It was terrifying!”
The blast heavily damaged the offices, as well as the homes of several members of the team. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured. “Once I had checked that all of my team was safe, we began to visit hospitals and partners to understand what the needs of the injured are. Humanity & Inclusion has an important role to play in the coming days to reduce the impact of this disaster."