Beirut Explosion Devastates Country
Lebanon (International Christian Concern) – On Tuesday evening, a massive explosion on the Beirut port devastated Lebanon. Damage is reported on buildings up to six miles away from the initial blast. Shock waves reached the shores of Cyprus, and Syrian residents in Damascus also reported being impacted. Information regarding the impact of the explosion is constantly updated, but everything within a two-radius of the site have experienced significant damage.
ICC estimates that there are at least 30 churches within this radius. Pastors of Resurrection Church, Nazarene Church, and the Church of God in the Achrafieh district all described extreme damage. “It is unbelievable,” said one impacted pastor. “We really need every support possible.” Churches are normally a key central point of humanitarian aid, especially in the context of Lebanon. But with this extent of damage, their role in helping Lebanon recover following the blast is limited.
Lebanon’s Health Minister reports at least 70 killed and over 4000 injured. Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai called the explosion a “scenario of war without war,” saying that Lebanon “is in a situation of economic and financial bankruptcy which renders it unable to face this catastrophe.”
The effects of COVID-19 and an already collapsing economy have thrown the nation into turmoil over the past few months. The toll of this explosion is astronomical, its implications felt across the region. Lebanese Christians call out for prayer as they work to rebuild and recover from this catastrophe.
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