A massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon has a local ministry, Heart for Lebanon, helping people pick up the pieces in any way they can.
The blast yesterday that occurred in a warehouse storing 2,000 lbs of ammonium nitrate has left more than 200,000 people homeless, injured 4,000 people, and as of now, killed 400.
Tom Atema is the co-founder of Heart for Lebanon, and his team is on the ground helping anyone and everyone clean up after this trauma.
He says, "It’s equal to a 3.5 magnitude earthquake.”
Comments have been made that people in Jordan, Cyprus, and Israel could feel the explosion.
The cause of the explosion, that happened from these materials that have been sitting in the warehouse for years, is unknown at this time.
The ministry's offices, their main warehouse, and a third of the staff live in Beirut. Their warehouse isn’t too far from where the explosion took place.
(Supplied)Three of the local hospitals have also been demolished.
“The country that’s been in an economic downfall since last year, this is going to devastate it. Seventy-five per cent of people in Lebanon will need some kind of aid just to survive life.”
Even before the devastation from the blast, getting food was difficult for so many in Lebanon.
Now, Atema says, “It’s estimated that 200,000 children in Beirut itself will starve to death from now until the end of 2020.”
“If you look at the pictures on TV, you’ll see some big silos that have been not totally destroyed but damaged. Inside those silos is the wheat storage for the country.”
Lebanon is a bread culture and that is a big part of their everyday diet. This means starvation is close, if nothing changes, for many people.
“It’s a devastating blow to a country of 4 million people, that has 2 million refugees in it, all of them illegally.”
Heart for Lebanon has 60 plus staff and volunteers that are at hard work cleaning up and providing items in need.
“This is our Esther moment and we better not waste it. Unprecedented disasters lead to unprecedented opportunities to share your faith,” says Atema.
“Those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, while this is a mess, it’s another opportunity for us to show the people that live in that part of the world that Jesus is the answer.”
On top of helping many buildings, churches, and businesses clean up, Atema says, “We have teams also helping the 200,000 plus people that are now homeless with family care items, such as food, hygiene items, clothing, and blankets. Whatever they need, we’re trying to provide all that we can. All in the name of Jesus.”
For people who want to help the ministry in this time, Atema shares two different ways.
“The best thing people can do right now is to pray. Our team needs prayer for strength, to be able to work long hours, that we’ll be able to have the resources, to give out Bibles, to give out food, clothing, mattresses, and to do it wisely.”
The second way is for people to give money to help purchase supplies and food.
Anyone interested in giving financially to the Heart for Lebanon team as they help those reeling from the devastation in Beirut can do so on their website.
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