Slovenia's aid to Lebanon following the Beirut explosion

At today's correspondence session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, at the request of the Government of Lebanon, decided to send an expert as a member of the EU Civil Protection team to help coordinate international assistance in Lebanon within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

On Tuesday, 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, followed by a powerful explosion that affected the wider port area. According to the latest data, the accident claimed more than 100 lives while thousands of people were injured, many are missing and a quarter of a million were left homeless. As a result of the accident, Lebanon declared a state of emergency in Beirut.

On the same day, the Government of Lebanon, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), requested international assistance in the form of material aid, supplies of medicines and medical equipment, several types of search and rescue units as well as units for identification of hazardous substances, and an EU Civil Protection expert team to coordinate international assistance.

Based on the Government's decision, the Slovenian Ministry of Defence will deploy an expert to Lebanon to coordinate international assistance within the EU Civil Protection expert team. The deployment is scheduled for 14 days, starting on 7 August 2020.

Source: Ministry of Defence

Slovenia provides emergency humanitarian aid to people in Beirut

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia earmarked EUR 200,000 for emergency humanitarian aid to Lebanon to be sent to the inhabitants of Beirut via the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Caritas Internationalis. Moreover, Slovenia today deployed a Slovenian logistics expert to Beirut who will work in the team of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Aid provided via the IFRC was received by the Lebanese Red Cross which has successfully stepped in for the absent state healthcare and whose rescue teams in the field are working around the clock to help people affected by this disaster and the recent protests. The final beneficiary of the aid channelled through Caritas Internationalis is Caritas Lebanon which is cooperating with Caritas Slovenia in the implementation of a successful project: “Comprehensive care for Syrian women refugees, victims of gender-based violence in Lebanon”. The project is in the period 2020-2022 financed by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the international development cooperation and humanitarian aid. In addition to humanitarian projects which Slovenia has been carrying out in Lebanon for a number of years to help Syrian refugees, it also deployed members of the Slovenian Armed Forces to the country as part of UNIFIL.

Lebanon is in dire need of international community’s aid since, owing to the permanent political crisis and failed economy, its government lacks the necessary means to eliminate the consequences of this disaster. The aid will help de-escalate the security situation in the country which is also at risk of violent protests of its people forced to live in difficult social conditions.

 According to the latest data, the explosion and the fire in the port of Beirut claimed more than 100 lives, while more than 5,000 thousand were injured, many are missing and a quarter of a million were left homeless. Several parts of the capital were destroyed and about half of the city damaged. As a result of the accident, Lebanon declared a state of emergency in Beirut.

 Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs