Czechs contributed almost a million Czech Crowns to help Beirut. People in Need released another half a million from Club of Friends
Published: Aug 17, 2020 Reading time: 2 minutes
The Czech people have contributed more than 994,000 Czech crowns (38,200 EUR) to the ‘SOS Lebanon’ fundraiser which was established by People in Need soon after the explosion in Beirut. In addition, the organization provided another one million Czech Crowns (38,400 EUR) from the Club of Friends fund. The money will be used to repair damaged houses, so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible.
In Beirut, People in Need will help repair homes in the most impacted district of Karantina, which is also one of the poorest districts affected by the blast. "According to interviews with local residents, for the majority of people who have stayed in their damaged homes, the most important thing for them is to feel safe again and for those whose homes are uninhabitable, their priority is to return. Repairs can take a long time and it is important that everything is done before winter arrives. After coordinating on the ground with other organizations and assessing people’s needs, we can see that using the funds in this way is the best way for us to support,” explains Lenka Filípková, PIN’s aid worker in Beirut.
However, she also said that Lebanon is likely to face shortages in materials and manpower. For many people in Beirut, living conditions had been deteriorating dramatically even prior to the explosion as a result of the depreciation of the Lebanese currency, hyper-inflation and measures related to COVID-19.
Beirut after the explosion
PIN’s ability to respond quickly to the Lebanese crisis is thanks to private funds from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. To help the Lebanese capital, People in Need has already released almost 50,000 EUR, and soon after the explosion it announced the ‘SOS Lebanon’ fundraiser. "The crisis in Beirut has proved that Czechs are generous and that in moments like this, they want to help," says Tomáš Vyhnálek, director of PIN’s fundraising department.
Contacts:
• Tomáš Kocian, Regional Director of People in Need for the Middle East
GSM: +420 777 787 970, Email: tomas.kocian@peopleinneed.cz
• Markéta Jourová, Media Coordinator of the Relief & Development Department of People in Need
GSM: +420 770 184 542, Email: marketa.jourova@peopleinneed.cz
