Last year, on 4 August, a warehouse explosion destroyed a port, left a crater in the ground and scarred a whole population. The ‘Beirut blast’ forced a government to resign, shook the whole of the Middle East and made global news.
Stirred by the people
Lebanon is smaller than the size of Yorkshire. But it has a population of 6.8million people. Unfortunately, this small nation has had a cocktail of problems long before the Beirut blast. One of our local contacts explains:
Lebanon has been experiencing civil unrest with some in the population angry at the government since October 2019. The currency has decreased in value by about 80%. Widespread and extensive power cuts mean you may get electricity for three hours a day. And then there’s coronavirus.
Recently, things have gone from bad to worse. The currency has declined so much that what, two years ago, could buy enough food to feed a family now can’t even buy one litre of milk. And many goods, such as food and fuel are now heavily rationed.
As God’s people, we should use this opportunity to show loyalty and support for those on the forefront of rebuilding efforts – rebuilding broken buildings and broken people. Can you show people of Lebanon that they are not alone?