In August 2020, a major explosion in the port of Beirut severely affected large parts of the Lebanese capital. The medical infrastructure was also affected. Buildings and equipment were destroyed or damaged. For the people in the city, access to medical help was made much more difficult. The many poor people in the city were particularly affected.
After the extent of the damage in the city became clear, the donation alliance "Aktion Deutschland hilft" called for support for the people of Beirut. The donations collected at the time were channelled into various projects. One of these has now been completed by alliance partner BRH Bundesverband Rettungshunde together with partner organisation ISAR Germany. In Beirut, ADH funds were used to support two health centres run by the organisation Amel International. These were also severely affected by the explosion. This week, a dental practice, an ophthalmology practice and an ultrasound machine were handed over to Amel in the Karm El Zeitoun health centre. The centre was also equipped with furniture. A solar system has been installed at the Ain El Remaneh health centre in recent months. This ensures that medical care can be provided even when the power supply in the town fails several times a day.
In Amel, an extremely professional partner was found in Lebanon last year. The organisation operates numerous health centres throughout the country and enjoys a high reputation among the population. Amel is an independent and religiously neutral aid organisation. Cooperation was made more difficult by the hurdles posed by the coronavirus crisis. Nevertheless, the project was successfully implemented thanks to the reliable work of the Amel team. The cooperation will continue. Further projects in the two health centres will follow in the coming months.