Created in Los Angeles, California in 1993, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is part of the global Islamic Relief family, which has more than 100 offices in 40 countries and provides millions of dollars in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to people in need each year. Providing critical services, including meal delivery and emergency response, to communities throughout the US, IRUSA also maintains an active presence in many other countries.
Over the years, IRUSA and its international partners have provided interventions following war and natural disasters in Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq, Iran, and Bangladesh, among other countries. The Charity Navigator 4-star-rated nonprofit has also built water wells, delivered food packages, and funded health and education initiatives and programs in many other countries, including Lebanon.
Islamic Relief, including IRUSA, began sending humanitarian aid to people in Lebanon after the war in 2006, which resulted in roughly 1,300 casualties, displaced about 1 million Lebanese citizens, and severely damaged civil infrastructure. Below is a look at the current state of Lebanon, which has since been affected by multiple crises, and how Islamic Relief is working to improve living conditions for Lebanese people and refugees inhabiting the country.
Lebanon’s Economic Crisis
Lebanon is in the midst of one of the worst financial crises in history. Because of continued fiscal and external deficits, along with an unstable fixed exchange rate and mounting bank debt, Lebanon defaulted on its government debt for the first time in its history in March 2020, around the same time most of the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with other subsequent domestic and international crises, Lebanon’s financial situation is among the three most severe global crises in the last 175 years, according to the World Bank.
Now in its fifth year of a major economic crisis, in excess of 80 percent of people in Lebanon live in poverty and many don’t have adequate access to water, food, health care, or education. The government has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic rescue package since May 2020, but political resistance has kept this from coming to fruition. Politicians are quick to blame others for the country’s financial crisis and many have stated that Lebanon can overcome the problem on its own without help from foreign entities, including the IMF.
Yet, any time the country’s economy appears to be gaining momentum, it’s negatively impacted by another crisis. Inflation has been a major issue worldwide following the pandemic. The inflation rate in Lebanon has been greater than 100 percent since 2021 and increased to 222.42 percent in 2023, up from 171.1 percent the year prior. The country’s overall economy was projected to grow, albeit at a minimal 0.2 percent, for the first time in five years in 2023, but the ongoing conflict in Gaza had a spillover effect on Lebanon and its long-term economic growth prospects.
The Beirut Blast
The year 2020 was particularly devastating for Lebanon as the country was not only impacted by the pandemic, but also a massive explosion on August 4, caused by the unsafe storage of flammable materials, that killed more than 200 people, injured about 7,000 others, and caused about $15 billion in property damage. The blast destroyed critical Beirut infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and homes, leaving roughly 300,000 people without a place to live.
“The city, which has endured so much turbulence over the last few decades, still bears the scars of the devastating explosion that killed more than 200 people in August 2020, with damaged buildings lining the short drive from the airport to the city center,” said Dr. Ahmed Nasr, deputy director of global programmes operations at Islamic Relief, after visiting Beirut in 2022. “The explosion came at a time when Lebanon was already struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic as well as political and economic turmoil. Services that were already stretched to their limit were being forced to make resources stretch even further.”
Refugees in Lebanon
Lebanon’s economic crisis and limited resources are further exacerbated by the number of refugees living in the country. More than 1.5 million Syrians and in excess of 300,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, making up more than 25 percent of its total population.
Islamic Relief in Lebanon
Islamic Relief has been active in Lebanon since 2006, providing immediate relief while also emphasizing long-term development, both for Lebanon’s residents and Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
Following the 2020 explosion, Islamic Relief volunteers were on the ground, helping to clear debris from Beirut streets and supplying medical facilities with medication, equipment and supplies, and fuel. The organization also provided food, water, and shelter to people within the blast radius and trained religious and ethnic leaders in child protection and risks for gender-based violence.
Overall, Islamic Relief’s humanitarian services have reached more than 500,000 people in the three years following the Beirut explosion. The organization is currently working to repair clean energy sources and water networks throughout Lebanon, while also providing packages of food and blankets to help refugees stay warm and nourished during the winter months.