One Year On, Beirut Is Still Rebuilding — and Recovering

Devastated by an unprecedented explosion, this vibrant city and its people remain resilient in the face of enormous challenges

By Rima Bakri, Clara Long and Ryan Stafford

August 4, 2021, will mark one year since the devastating port explosion in Beirut that left 220 people dead, 6,500 injured and 300,000 displaced from their homes. One of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, the blast registered as a 3.5 magnitude earthquake in Beirut and was felt more than 100 miles away.

Recovery has proven frustratingly difficult, and one year on, Beirut communities are still facing multiple challenges. The harsh reality is that the port explosion is just one of several ongoing crises: political turmoil, an economy near total collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic have left the country in a state of desperation. Many Lebanese people wonder what could possibly happen next. It’s as if nothing surprises them anymore.

Compounding these seemingly insurmountable challenges is the inability to access mental health services. Survivors of conflict and disasters are at higher risk for psychological distress and mental health conditions, and Beirut’s people are no exception. This is just one reason why International Medical Corps is continuing to help Beirut and its residents rebuild. Though we initially focused our relief efforts on primary medical care and psychological first aid (PFA), we are now helping people deal with the longer-term effects of the disaster, by providing comprehensive mental health services.

A Day that Changed Beirut Forever

“On August 4, 2020, I was at home, sitting at my desk, when the Beirut port explosion ripped through the city. The floor shifted beneath me, and my apartment walls rattled. It felt like an earthquake. The balcony door in the living room came off its hinges, and the glass panels separating the living room from my home office shattered.” -Rima Bakri, Communications Manager, International Medical Corps, Lebanon

The human cost of the explosion was enormous. Many thousands of people were in critical need of healthcare in the immediate aftermath of the blast, yet the explosion left at least six hospitals and some 20 primary healthcare centers partially or wholly inoperable.

With nearly 300 staff members already in the country, International Medical Corps quickly mobilized a comprehensive response. Thankfully, our warehouse and vehicles were not damaged, so we had access to medical equipment and supplies — including medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) — that we provided to health facilities. We also deployed immediately into damaged communities, setting up tents and treating people using mobile medical units (MMUs).

In just the first two weeks, we were able to help more than 54,000 people by:

• delivering medical supplies and PPE to eight hospitals and 19 healthcare clinics;
• providing PPE to more than 2,000 health workers, first responders and volunteers, to help protect them from COVID-19;
• conducting 530 primary healthcare consultations and delivering PFA to 450 people through MMUs; and
• distributing more than 670 hygiene kits to keep families and communities safe and thwart the spread of disease.

“About 20 minutes after the blast, I started receiving WhatsApp messages with news of the explosion, including videos. It was pouring in from everywhere — confusion, damage and dead bodies.” -Rima Bakri

As the initial and most chaotic phase of the crisis was replaced by a need to focus on longer-term recovery, International Medical Corps staff members continued to provide consultations. To date, we have provided about 526,000 health consultations, distributed almost 30,000 hygiene kits, supported 87 health facilities (rehabilitating three that were extensively damaged by the blast), provided almost 5,000 pieces of medical equipment, distributed more than 4.6 million pieces of PPE and infection prevention and control supplies, and distributed more than 184,000 medications.

With COVID-19 infections surging in the aftermath of the explosion[TB1] , and with more than one-third of the city’s healthcare facilities damaged, we implemented an innovative COVID-19 home healthcare program for patients with mild and moderate symptoms, helping almost 1,100 people and relieving pressure on overwhelmed hospitals. We also supported survivors with disabilities, who had lost livelihoods and healthcare because of the blast, providing physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions, as well as assistive devices, such as hearing aids, glasses, mobility devices and more.

Responding to the long-term trauma caused by the blast, our mental health team has so far provided more than 10,000 in-person and remote mental health consultations. We also trained frontline health workers to provide psychosocial support and basic care, and educated local community members about mental health issues and support. And to help displaced women and girls who were at risk of gender-based violence, our team provided information about gender-based violence and support, distributed dignity kits and psychosocial support kits, and provided consultations to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV).

All in all, in the year since the explosion, we have been able to help more than 276,000 people — and are continuing to serve people in need throughout the country.

Looking Ahead

With a history of providing services in Lebanon that stretched back to 2006, and 300 in-country staff, International Medical Corps is one of the few global emergency response organizations with the capacity to address both the medical and psychosocial needs of both Lebanese citizens and the refugees they live alongside (Lebanon now hosts nearly 1 million Syrian refugees as well as an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 Palestinians — meaning refugees account for roughly one-quarter of the country’s population of 6 million).

The need for mental health services remains high and our team is working to strengthen and expand services throughout the city. Structural challenges require holistic solutions. With this in mind, we don’t just treat people living with mental health conditions. We also train frontline health workers so that they can provide psychological first aid when the next disaster strikes. We have conducted six PFA training sessions for frontline healthcare workers, and are also working with the Ministry of Health and the National Mental Health Program to ensure that both psychosocial support and GBV services and referrals remain a priority and are fully integrated into the existing health infrastructure.

“Looking back at that time, I’m struck by how everyone immediately flew into action to help one another and rebuild.” — Rima Bakri

The road to recovery remains long and overwhelmingly uncertain for Lebanon. Political unrest continues. The currency has lost 90 percent of its value since 2019 — a financial crisis that ranks among the worst in modern history — and across the country, people face acute shortages of clean water, fuel, medicine and electricity. But despite it all, the stubborn reserve of the Lebanese people remains. Despite the myriad challenges it has presented, the Beirut blast proved that the city’s residents cannot be broken — that they will continue to persevere and rebuild — and that we will support them while they do.

It took this explosion to show me that despite decades of insecurity, the fabric of Lebanese society is something that will never be broken. — Rima Bakri

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