Every help matters
According to the vulnerability screening conducted by World Vision Lebanon, in February 2021, 49 percent of the screened households had no working members or no fixed income, and Beirut/Mount Lebanon being the second-highest percentage recorded with 54.7 percent.
The people of Beirut affected by the blast are still suffering from the impact of the explosion that added more distress to an already vulnerable population.
With fundings from the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA), World Vision Lebanon is helping families affected by the Beirut Explosion through three sectors: Child Protection, Basic Assistance and WASH.
Emily is a 75-year-old widow who lives by herself in Achrafieh, an area next to the port. With no children or no living family members, Emily survives on any help or in-kind she can get from her neighbours. "They are very kind to offer me food, but with this crisis and everything becoming so expensive, I cannot accept any more," she says. Now, Emily relies on humanitarian organizations and charities to provide her with any help. "I live alone, I can always find a way to feed myself, but what about people with children and families? May God helps them", she says.
On August 4th, 2020, Marie was hanging clothes to dry outside, when she heard the first explosion. She turned her back to run inside, and suddenly the second explosion happened, and she found herself on her kitchen floor. With two children and a husband at home, Marie, 55, depends on any assistance she receives from humanitarian organizations. "Every donation matters, especially with the situation now and the constant fear of corona and the disinfection products that we cannot afford any more", she says.
"There is nothing I can say that describes the current situation", says Gladys, 60. "My husband is sick and can't leave his bed, so I have to stay home and take care of him, and our only provider is my son who works as a waiter", she says. Before all these crises, Gladys and her family were barely able to meet ends, but now with all these difficulties, it is even worse. "We are thankful for any kind of help we receive because it will make a change and help us," she says.