Roger Eid oversees Humanity & Inclusion’s demining operations in Lebanon. He explains the importance of this work to restore land for civilians to safely live, work and play.

Q: What are the objectives of demining in Lebanon?

Clearing land contaminated by explosive remnants of war improves access to safe land and infrastructure for the communities affected by the civil war in Lebanon that lasted from 1975 to 1990.

In addition to land clearance, Humanity & Inclusion is carrying out risk education sessions in Arsal. These activities aim to promote safe behaviors and reduce the risks of explosive remnants of war by raising awareness among targeted communities. In total, more than 200 awareness-raising sessions have been conducted for 1,700 people in Arsal.

Q: What is a typical day for a deminer?

The deminers wake up very early—at 4 a.m.—to avoid working in the heat of the day. They arrive at the Aley base at 6.30 a.m. and collect the necessary equipment and tools.

The site supervisor and the team leader brief the deminers on the objectives and safety. The deminers can then start work, wearing protective equipment and carrying a mine detector and a shovel. Each deminer does six to seven 50-minute interventions per day. The team then packs up the tools and equipment and returns to the base before going home.

Our deminers have now started testing drones to locate explosive remnants of war in the districts of Aaqoura and Aley. This technique is effective in collecting visual information of a hazardous area and rapidly identifying signs of explosive ordnance. The use of drones can speed up the release of land.  

Q: Where do these demining operations take place?

The demining team is currently working in Mount Lebanon, in the Aley district. Our team is composed of 12 people, including seven deminers. Operations are underway in the villages of Bsatine, Btater and Chartoune. The demining zone in Chartoune is 87 yards from the nearest house, with a farm 82 yards away. The polluted area is agricultural land, where olive trees, fruit trees and pine trees had been planted. Five mines have been found so far, and destroyed on the spot.

The area to be demined is identified in coordination with the Lebanese Mine Action Center, which has established a demining prioritization system.

Q: How much land has HI cleared?

Humanity & Inclusion's demining team in Lebanon has cleared almost 250 acres in ten years of operations, including more than two acres that have been cleared in 2022.

In total, Humanity & Inclusion’s operations have cleared 56 villages of mines and explosive remnants of war in the districts of Batroun, Koura and Bcharre, where 192 minefields were demined and the land returned to the community. The Cedar Nature Reserves in Niha, Tannourine and Hadath El Jebbeh have also been cleared.

Those directly benefiting from the cleared land are the farmers and other people who work in the fields. The clearance efforts indirectly impact the broader community in each village.

Still, Lebanon has almost 4,500 acres of confirmed mined areas, including along the Blue Line in the south of the country.

Q: What role does the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty play in demining operations in Lebanon?

The Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty is crucial to our demining operations in Lebanon. Lebanon is not a member of the Ottawa Treaty, which bans anti-personnel mines and requires the decontamination of mined areas, but it gives us the legitimacy and motivation to continue our mission in the country. The Ottawa Treaty has become an international standard; it has been joined by 164 states. It has a huge influence in Lebanon. It challenges us to expand our operations to new areas and to accelerate demining activities by testing new innovative approaches, such as drone surveys.

Q: What are the next steps for mine clearance in Lebanon?

Humanity & Inclusion will continue pursuing its commitment to landmine and cluster munition clearance. We plan to increase our teams to a minimum of two in each of the new districts in which we’ll be operating. We will be focusing on priority areas in the Mount Lebanon governorate, such as El Matn and Chouf districts. These districts were severely affected by the 1975 war; they are contaminated by many types of explosive remnants of war, including landmines and cluster bombs.

Ahmad, 10, was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Humanity & Inclusion provides him with rehabilitation services and supports his inclusion in school.

With limited movement in his left arm and hand, Ahmad has difficulty dressing, showering, using school materials and writing. He also experiencing challenges with spelling and pronunciation. As a result, Ahmad lacks self-confidence needed to make friends and speak publicly.

Ahmad is one of 144 children participating in weekly sessions at the Mousawat Center, where specialists provide psychomotor and speech therapy, psychological support and parental guidance. After three months, Ahmad’s mobility has improved and he’s become more independent in carrying out his daily tasks at school and home.

"He uses his left arm more and can wash himself,” his mother, Aisha, explains.

Ahmad is also provided with transport services and monthly cash assistance to afford food, water, medication and other basic needs.

Commitment to education

Today, Ahmad attends school regularly and is able to spell many words correctly, read and use all his school materials.

He is talking more and has already made two new friends at school. His family is happy and grateful to see him thrive.

"It is my dream to be able to provide education for my children, because it is the only way to ensure a better future for them,” says Mohammad, Ahmad's father.

Mohammad was a teacher in Syria, and is strongly committed to his children’s education. Ahmad and his family of seven fled the war in Syria and are now living in Lebanon. His father works for an electricity company in Beirut.

This inclusive education program in Lebanon is implemented by Humanity & Inclusion in partnership with the Mousawat Center. It is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) in partnership with UNICEF.

Imane, 7, has a hearing disability. Her family fled the war in Syria in 2018 and took refuge in Beirut, Lebanon. She is receiving support through Humanity & Inclusion’s inclusive education activities.

When Imane was 4 years old, she started to show signs of regression in her interactions with others. Her family sensed that something was wrong. Medical examinations revealed that she had partial hearing loss in both ears. Her parents did not know the cause, but believe it might be related to the war or the stressful environment they were living in.

Imane spoke with just a few words, and her parents avoided social situations to protect their daughter from discrimination.

Imane's father works in construction to support his family, while her mother looks after the children at home. With the economic crisis in Lebanon, her parents found it difficult to enroll Imane in an inclusive education program. But with support from Humanity & Inclusion, Imane is now going to school.

Inclusive education for children with disabilities

Humanity & Inclusion seeks to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive an education. Imane has a personalized education plan, which includes psychotherapy and psychomotor therapy. She has shown that she is a quick learner and has made great progress in a short time.

Today, Imane is more active and independent in her daily tasks. She likes to prepare her own food and chop vegetables with her mother.

"Imane plays differently now and enjoys interacting with Said, her little brother,” her father says.

Imane is motivated and now feels that nothing is impossible. Her family is very happy with their daughter's progress.

This inclusive education project is implemented by Humanity & Inclusion in partnership with the Mousawat Center. It is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in partnership with UNICEF.

For the first few years of her life, Christina hardly communicated at all. Today, with support from Humanity & Inclusion, she’s showing encouraging progress.

Christina, 4, experiences language difficulties and has an intellectual disability. The youngest of three children, Christina was not communicating the same way her older siblings had at her age. Her mother, Rouchim, became concerned and started looking for answers and available services.

The family contacted GENIUS School, a special school for children with disabilities. Christina's initial assessment confirmed language difficulties and a mild intellectual disability. She communicated only by pointing, eye contact and hand gestures.

Christina was then enrolled in an inclusive education project, implemented by Humanity & Inclusion in partnership with GENIUS School. The program in Lebanon is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), in partnership with UNICEF.

The program offers weekly rehabilitation services such as speech therapy, psychomotor therapy, psychological support, parental guidance, classroom assistance and support.

With support provided from a multidisciplinary team, Christina's communication skills are improving. Today, Christina is able to communicate her thoughts and needs and understand instructions, which is boosting her self-confidence and social skills.

"Last year we were desperate and sad,” Rouchim explains. “I thought my child would never talk and never be able to go out and play with all the other children, or even be accepted by others. Now our life has changed, we are very happy. Christina is able to communicate with us.”

Christina's parents strongly believe in her right to education and will continue to advocate for equal access to services.

Sidra and Marwa are sisters, Syrian refugees, and living with disabilities. Both receive physical therapy care in Lebanon at Mousawat Rehabilitation Center, a Humanity & Inclusion partner.

Sidra, 15, and Marwa, 16, live with their family of seven in a tent in the Faida Camp for Syrian refugees, in Bekaa, Lebanon. They fled from Syria in 2011, at the beginning of the war.

Sidra has cerebral palsy and Marwa has scoliosis. Both disabilities cause pain and make it difficult for the sisters to walk and to move. They receive treatment at the Mousawat Rehabilitation Center, to improve their walking and balance, and strengthen their muscles. Physical therapy helps ease their pain and increase mobility, making their daily lives easier and empowering them to go to school.

During the physical therapy sessions, the girls do exercises to strengthen their arms, legs and core. They use weights, the treadmill and the bicycle. These exercises have a psychological effect, too: to gain physical strength and ability is the first step to boost self-esteem and combat anxiety.

Daily challenges

Marwa’s scoliosis affects her physical and social functioning in a similar way. Marwa has experienced several accidents. For instance, she once lost her balance and broke a knee while playing. The injury limited her movement for months, and caused her distress and anxiety.

“I had a fear that my health situation wouldn’t improve before the school reopened, and I would have to walk with a limp in front of students,” Marwa says.

They both love playing with other children, but they experience bullying because of their disabilities. By improving their mobility, physical therapy sessions have helped the sisters feel more included at school. 

“I see my children happier and more excited about life than ever before, whether during daily life activities, helping out at home, learning, playing or even when leaving the house,” their mother says.

“I hope when we are grown up we will be able find jobs and be able to help our family,” Marwa explains.

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The current economic crisis in Lebanon, which was aggravated by the deadly explosions in Beirut on August 4, 2020, is having a serious impact on communities living in vulnerable circumstances, including Syrian refugees and people with disabilities.

A young man and a teenager who receive care from the Mousawat Center, supported by Humanity & Inclusion, share their stories.

Mohammed Ali Raja, 26

Mohammed Ali Raja fled Syria to Lebanon in 2017 after a rocket attack left him with a spinal cord injury, causing him to experience paralysis from the waist down. His left leg had to be amputated. Humanity & Inclusion’s partner in Lebanon, the Mousawat Center, provided Mohammed with crutches and psychological support. They also referred Mohammed to the World Rehabilitation Fund (WRF), where he received a prosthetic leg and medical boots. Mohammad continues to receive for other health issues caused by his spinal injury.

On August 4, 2020, the Beirut blast killed more than 200 people and injured 7,500. For Mohammed, it triggered psychological trauma from his memories of the conflict in Syria.

“I was afraid to go to the bathroom after the blast because I was scared,” he says. “The feeling of fear got worse because I can’t escape if there is a problem.”

Due to the current economic collapse in Lebanon, Mohammed is in need of financial support. For example, the incontinence pads that he has to wear cost 100,000 pounds—more than $66—for a pack of 24. That is unaffordable at local salary rates, especially when Mohammed’s brother is the sole income provider for his family.

Mohammed’s hope for the future is to pursue education outside Lebanon, in a place where he can “work and be productive enough to cover my needs.” He would like to use his interest in biology to become a doctor or school teacher.

Mohammed Abboud al-Saleh, 14

Mohammed Abboud al-Saleh and his family fled from Syria to Lebanon several years ago. Unfortunately, he was struck by a car while crossing the street in Beirut. He suffered a spinal cord injury causing his legs to be paralyzed.

After 15 sessions at the Mousawat Center, Mohammed has made great progress. He can now stand with assistance and transfer himself from his wheelchair to a bed.

“There were movements I couldn’t do before, but now I can,” he says. “I am so happy.”

Being a wheelchair user is a day-to-day challenge for Mohammed. One time, his father was late to pick up him from school, so he was stuck on the third floor. His teacher was unable to move Mohammed by herself, so they had to wait for his dad to arrive and to call people from the street to help get Mohammed back down. It made Mohammed very upset and he said that he “felt lonely.” Like many places, schools often don’t have elevators or facilities for persons with disabilities. Even if they did, the current frequent electricity blackouts in Lebanon would likely cause a major issue.

Mohammed has big plans for the future. He would like to continue his studies and become a doctor or pharmacist. But his real passion is in acting! He posts challenges, pranks and sight-seeing videos to his thousands of subscribers on Youtube and TikTok.

When asked if he could go anywhere, Mohammed suggests a few places, all within miles of his home.

“I’d like to play with my friends and go for walks around the building and around these areas,” he says. “My biggest dream is to walk again.”

A year after the August 4, 2020, explosion in Beirut, Nahed Mansour, Humanity & Inclusion’s Livelihood Project Manager in Lebanon, recounts the events of that tragic day and its lingering impact on the city.

Q: What do you remember from August 4, 2020?

I remember the river of blood in the roads, the screams of the people, the broken windows and the collapsed buildings. I still remember how people supported and took care of each other. After the explosion, people from all over Lebanon went directly to Beirut to support the impacted families, even though there was a quarantine. I will never forget, one of volunteers was rescuing a woman who had a severe injury. She told him that she had Covid-19 and that he needed to stay away from her. But he said, “I don’t care, I won’t leave you dying,” and he carried her to the hospital in his arms.

Q: How would you define the period after the blast?

The blast feels like it was yesterday. Nothing has changed for those who lost their assets and loved ones, or suffered from permanent disabilities or had remarkable scars. These consequences are not easy to forget, especially without justice for what happened. People are frustrated because of the lack of means for support and the ongoing crisis.

Q: How do you think Beirut has changed over the past year?

Before the explosion, a multi-faceted crisis composed of socio-economic and health dimensions had begun. The Lebanese people were resistant, they held onto the hope that things would improve and that change would come and rescue the country.

However, when the blast took place, the resulting damage was enough to destroy this dream and take away that hope. With the remarkable, unforgettable scars and memories caused by the blast, people gave up. Many decided to close their businesses and relocate to build a better future for their children. The vibrant city turned into a city of shadows. The Lebanese people are known to be citizens who love life and are very resilient, but I think that the blast was one contributing factor that destroyed Beirut’s nightlife, festivals, joy and safety.

Q: What do you see as the greatest need today, a year after the explosion? 

In my role as Livelihood Project Manager, I believe that the greatest need today is to implement livelihood projects that will support the citizens to recover and restore their businesses, to build their economic resilience. The project will help to recover the city and the markets and reignite the hope to live and invest in Lebanon.

Q: How has the tragedy impacted you?

I am not okay. I just want life to go back to normal. I want to see the vibrant Beirut. I want to see people smile. So, to put it simply, I am not okay. Yet I feel that I should be part of the change, I have to support others. We need to stand together and rebuild Beirut and all of Lebanon. We need to keep hope and stay strong to save Lebanon.

Humanity & Inclusion’s response the August 4 explosion

Humanity & Inclusion and its partners provided door-to-door psychosocial outreach to 2,711 people in areas affected by the blast. Those individuals also were provided with information on Covid-19 prevention and safeguarding. As part of the outreach, teams identified the needs and priorities of impacted people, then referred them to the appropriate services internally or to external resources.

690 people benefited from comprehensive rehabilitation services, among them:

• 395 people received physical, occupational and/or speech therapy
• 190 people received mental health rehabilitation
• 261 caregivers received functional training to assist their loved ones with rehabilitation at home
• 360 people received assistive devices, wound kits and other items to assist in recovery

1,003 people were referred to external services, primarily for cash, food, shelter and medical assistance

1,396 households received hygiene and dignity kits

14 people received trauma therapy sessions

Zeina Salhani, Humanity & Inclusion’s former head of emergency in Lebanon, reflects on the August 4, 2020, explosions and the disaster's aftermath.

Q: What do you remember from August 4, 2020?

What I remember most from the blast is the sound of people in the streets screaming, and the injured people. I’m still so affected by thoughts of the families of the people who were killed. We can’t get rid of these memories because these families, the families of the victims, they still don’t have answers to their questions about why this happened.

I usually try not to think back on everything I experienced that day, at the moment of the explosion. For ourselves and our families, we all felt such fear and were in shock. We were all asking what was going on. In reality, it was only a few moments, but we lived through and experienced so much in those moments.

Q: What has it been like to be part of Humanity & Inclusion’s response? 

HI staff were also affected by the situation. We may not have been physically affected by the blast, but we all had at least one family member or friend who was. Emotionally and psychologically, we were very affected. But at the same time, we didn’t have much time to really experience these feelings because we had to do something and take action at that time.

The impact of the explosion was so much more than we could have expected. Health care has been deeply affected, and many hospitals in the area were destroyed. At the time, we were also facing the Covid-19 pandemic, so hospitals were already full and this put additional burden on them. Being part of HI was an opportunity to help others and to do something. I’m very satisfied to be part of this team. Our main objective was to reach the most vulnerable groups. We know that in emergency situations some people are often left behind such as elderly people and people with disabilities. So, our target was to locate these people and to serve them as a part of all the people affected by the blast.

Q: How did Humanity & Inclusion respond to the emergency?

We have responded in a different way than usual: Instead of asking people to come to the health centers to receive services, we met the people in their homes. It meant that they didn’t have to run after HI to receive specific services. So, we connected with the people in their homes, we screened the streets and the neighborhoods and we tried to reach everyone. We asked every person that we worked with and their families about their needs and the priorities. This has helped us to leave no one behind, especially when focusing mainly on children, elderly people and people with disabilities. Then, we provided these individuals with the services that we already ran within our existing projects such as rehabilitation, functional rehabilitation, mental health rehabilitation, distribution of assistive devices, hygiene and dignity kits. For services that were not provided by HI, we made sure to make referrals and closely follow-up with everyone to ensure that these people received what they needed.

This approach was widely accepted. People were saying that it was the first time they received services in such a respectful way from an organization. I was once in the street wearing an HI T-shirt with our logo and someone approached me to say that we had helped him and his mom. We also collected information from the people that we worked with about their satisfaction with our services and we had very positive feedback. They left wishing that we could provide additional services, saying that the need is there and the demand is there as well.

Q: How has the international community supported people in Beirut?

We will be having memorials for the 4^th of August. This is an opportunity to thank all the donors that have been supporting HI, and other organizations, in their efforts after the blast. NGOs are the first resource for people now that there are so few government services, and are too expensive for people living in Lebanon. So, NGOS have become the main service providers and support. It is not only because it has been one year since the blast that there are additional needs. With the complex situation in Lebanon, the needs are increasing every day, and need for support is increasing as well.

Humanity & Inclusion’s response the August 4 explosion

Humanity & Inclusion and its partners provided door-to-door psychosocial outreach to 2,711 people in areas affected by the blast. Those individuals also were provided with information on Covid-19 prevention and safeguarding. As part of the outreach, teams identified the needs and priorities of impacted people, then referred them to the appropriate services internally or to external resources.

• 690 people benefited from comprehensive rehabilitation services, among them:
  • 395 people received physical, occupational and/or speech therapy
  • 190 people received mental health rehabilitation
  • 261 caregivers received functional training to assist their loved ones with rehabilitation at home
  • 360 people received assistive devices, wound kits and other items to assist in recovery

• 1,003 people were referred to external services, primarily for cash, food, shelter and medical assistance
• 1,396 households received hygiene and dignity kits
• 14 people received trauma therapy sessions

In August 2020, Zeina Salhani was head of Humanity & Inclusion’s emergency team in Beirut. One year after the August 4, 2020, blast, she describes the current situation in Lebanon as one of disarray:

The August 4, 2020, explosion in Beirut still has a visible impact on health infrastructures. Many have not fully recovered, and are still experiencing consequences, such as limited capacity to respond to health demands. We also noticed an increase of positive Covid-19 cases just after the blast.

Some people still have not been able to return home, as they need assistance rebuilding their houses, though this number has been greatly reduced. Regarding mental health, people directly impacted by the blast have yet to recover from the psychological trauma of the experience.

Socio-economic crisis

In addition to last year’s explosion, Lebanon is suffering one of the 10 worst financial crises since the mid-19th century. The Lebanese pound is hitting record lows of 15,000 to the dollar, compared to 1,500 to the dollar only 18 months ago. Half of the population is below the poverty line, facing fuel shortages and soaring food prices. Almost everything, from food to medication, is expensive and unaffordable. Add the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the recent resurgence due to the Delta variant, and you have a very bleak picture of Lebanon today. The population is experiencing anger, despair and anxiety. People are struggling on a daily basis to meet their basic needs.

Unemployment rates have significantly increased in recent months. Both shops and markets are closing, making food and medication even more difficult to access in addition to the rising prices.

Many pharmacies or health centers may prefer to reserve their stock, waiting to sell items at higher prices, or when the exchange is more favorable for them. Additionally, the government has stopped subsidizing many products such as fuel or baby diapers, resulting in even higher prices.

Many families have decreased the number of meals they consume per day. They have also changed their diets to include less meat and more vegetables and seeds, which are cheaper. Many people no longer use their cell phone networks but instead only use web-based apps such as WhatsApp, which is less expensive.

Humanitarian needs

More and more are seeking aid from external support, preferring to seek aid from NGOs rather than a public hospital for example. There is also a clear distrust in the Covid-19 vaccine promoted by the government.

There have been increases in numerous requests for humanitarian aid, such as a 35% increase of patients for our rehabilitation or mental health services in host communities. Whereas our previous participants were largely Syrian refugees, today we are seeing more and more Lebanese citizens using Humanity & Inclusion’s services in Lebanon. We also receive more children and caregivers today. There has been such an increase in visitors that we have been obligated to put people on waiting lists.

Due to the crisis, the main priority today is granting access to food. We have never experienced this before in Lebanon. It can trigger tensions with Syrian refugees who receive cash assistance, for example, from humanitarian organizations. Some people may say that this is unfair. They also accuse the Syrian refugees of taking job opportunities. Many children have dropped out of school to support their families, and the number of people begging in the street has drastically increased. 

Humanity & Inclusion’s response the August 4 explosion

Humanity & Inclusion and its partners provided door-to-door psychosocial outreach to 2,711 people in areas affected by the blast. Those individuals also were provided with information on Covid-19 prevention and safeguarding. As part of the outreach, teams identified the needs and priorities of impacted people, then referred them to the appropriate services internally or to external resources.

• 690 people benefited from comprehensive rehabilitation services, among them:
  • 395 people received physical, occupational and/or speech therapy
  • 190 people received mental health rehabilitation
  • 261 caregivers received functional training to assist their loved ones with rehabilitation at home
  • 360 people received assistive devices, wound kits and other items to assist in recovery

• 1,003 people were referred to external services, primarily for cash, food, shelter and medical assistance
• 1,396 households received hygiene and dignity kits
• 14 people received trauma therapy sessions

In the six months since an explosion rocked Beirut and traumatized an entire population, Humanity & Inclusion has helped almost 1,000 families.

Since the explosion in Lebanon on August 4, 2020, Humanity & Inclusion and its local partner, Mousawat, have conducted door-to-door home visits in Al Basta and Carantina, two areas affected by the Beirut blast. The teams have provided psychological first aid, rehabilitation care, and supplies.

Coping with trauma

Humanity & Inclusion has a team of 20 people providing in-home psychological first aid, which involves listening to people, acknowledging their experiences, and adopting a kind and attentive attitude to their distress.  Each time members of the team visit a home, they encourage people to talk about their personal experiences.

The team works to normalize each person's situation or reaction to help relieve additional stress. For instance, if a person says that they feel too anxious to leave home, the psychologist explains that is a normal reaction and many people feel the same way. Since August, the team has conducted more than 1,500 psychological first aid sessions.

“Since August, we have seen a rise in poor mental health amongst the populations we support and work with," says Caroline Duconseille, Humanity & Inclusion's Head of Mission in Lebanon. "People have been deeply affected by the explosion that occurred in Beirut on August 4. This came at a time when people were already struggling.

"Since 2019, the country has been ravaged by a severe economic crisis," Duconseille explains. "One-third of the employees have been made redundant and half of the Lebanese population live below the poverty line. The cost of repairing damaged homes following the blast has created an additional burden for many households. Basic services such as health services and specialized services for people with disabilities, like rehabilitation centers are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Families are having to reduce the number of meals to feed their families each day. Violence and abuse is erupting throughout the population and is often targeted at the most vulnerable population among them persons with disabilities."

Providing care and distributing supplies

Nearly 350 people physically injured by the blast have received rehabilitation services from Humanity & Inclusion and its partners. More than 250 caregivers have been trained on how to help their relatives living with injuries or disabilities.

Humanity & Inclusion has distributed 170 assistive devices, including 34 mobility assistive devices like wheelchairs, canes, and walkers, as well as non-mobility assistive devices like urinary bags, short-term catheters, gel cushions, and toilet chairs.

100 wound kits were also distributed by Humanity & Inclusion and its partners to people caring for less serious injuries that did not require a hospital visit. Nearly 200 households received 720 hygiene and dignity kits. Everyone Humanity & Inclusion has worked with has learned about ways to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The teams are also helping to identify the needs and priorities of blast victims, guiding them to local services to meet their basic needs. More than 350 people have been referred to other organizations for help with food, shelter, cash, and medical assistance.

"In response to the explosion on August 4, we continue to prioritize providing people with mental health support and advising people where to find appropriate local services," Duconseille says. "Now, more than ever, we are focusing on responding to the consequences that the blast, the COVID-19 crisis and the economic crisis are having on the most vulnerable populations.”

Header image: A woman from Humanity & Inclusion takes notes while speaking with a victim after the Beirut explosion. Copyright: Tom Nicholson/HI

Inline image: A man holds a crutch while sitting next to a toilet chair he received from Humanity & Inclusion after the Beirut explosion. Copyright: Tom Nicholson/HI