On September 17, Israel coordinated pagers and walkie-talkies to simultaneously explode across the country, killing at least 37 people and injuring nearly 3,000 more. The attack was followed by an air strike on a building in Beirut, killing at least 45 people. On September 23, airstrikes continued, marking the deadliest day of Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the 2006 war. 

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, at least 558 people have been killed, including children, and another 1,835 people have been wounded. Displaced families are currently seeking shelter in schools and hospitals are being instructed to halt operations to prioritize treating survivors of the attacks, which have targeted hospitals themselves as well as medical centers and ambulances.

IRUSA is working with local partners to provide immediate emergency assistance including food aid, essential non-food items like hygiene kits, and medicine/medical supplies to families in desperate need. 

Lebanon has entered its fifth year of a crippling economic crisis, pushing more than 80% of people into poverty without access to food, water, health care, and education. Fuel shortages have also caused widespread electricity blackouts, leaving large portions of the country in the dark for up to 23 hours per day. In turn, hospitals, schools, and small local businesses are struggling to operate. 

To add, Lebanon plays host to a large population of refugees. Currently, it’s home to nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees as well as 210,000 Palestinian refugees. In response to the current crisis, the government has provided little to no support to families struggling to cope. Inadequate policy responses have left vulnerable people to fight for themselves.

Thanks to you, we've been able to accomplish so much. But there's still so much more to do. By continuing to support our efforts in Lebanon, you can help make a difference in the lives of those in desperate need.

Islamic Relief has been working in Lebanon since the war in 2006. Our goal is to provide emergency and long-term aid not only to residents of Lebanon, but Syrian and Palestinian refugees alike.

A few of our interventions include:

• Food aid
• Access to healthcare and education
• Emergency aid for families affected by disasters such as the Beirut explosion
• Humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees including basic non-food items and access to psychosocial support
• Winter aid

When you make the decision to help fundraise for the effort, you go beyond just thoughts and prayers. This increased IMPACT is priceless, because it means we’re able to meet more needs of those who are waiting for us to lend a helping hand.

And if you're reading this message, it's because you want to go beyond the call the duty. For you, it's not enough to just keep those children in your thoughts and prayer.  You want to double your impact by helping to sponsor these emergency efforts and helping deliver aid to those affected by creating a fundraising page. Get started by creating your page today!

We’re so glad you came. Just scroll to the top of the page and click "become a fundraiser" to setup your page and start promoting to your network via e-mail, social media, and your preferred messaging app. Even with a goal as small as $50, you can provide urgent food aid for families.