Dear Friends, Family, and Colleagues,

Imagine overnight:
 
- 50% of the Vancouver BC population is homeless
 
- 80% of our homes and buildings are damaged - $10B to $15B in estimated damages
 
- Hundreds are dead, hundreds are missing, over 5000 wounded
 
- And our port, the lifeline of any coastal city, is decimated
 
That is what happened to Beirut on Tuesday August 4th - Lebanon needs your immediate support more than ever!


Please consider donating – I know it’s a lot to ask during a worldwide pandemic and soaring unemployment but even $10 will go a long way to address the immediate humanitarian needs. It’s been heart-wrenching to see the destruction of lives and homes especially considering it was totally preventable.  

I have been going through whole series of emotions, feeling sad, angry, hopeless, powerless and guilty that I cannot be there on the ground to help with the cleanup and support my people.
 
The only tangible thing I feel I can do at the moment is to reachout to my community here in North America and Europe to help me raise donations.

I’m afraid that if we do not act quickly enough, this humanitarian disaster will turn into a political crisis which will lead to further destabilization in the region and possible global consequences. The reality is Lebanon has always been the gateway to the East and its stability paramount to world peace.


The associations below are ones I trust and will donate to on your behalf. They offer urgent relief to people affected in the catastrophic explosion.

OFFRE JOIE :

OFFRE JOIE is an apolitical and non-confessional Lebanese NGO cleaning and rehabilitating houses with the help of the volunteers and skilled workers. One street at a time, one house at a time.


LEBANESE RED CROSS 

Our initial target is to raise at least $5,000 through my community. Alex, my wife, and I will match the first $1000. 

I would greatly appreciate your support/donation and I ensure you that I will share the receipt of fund transfer to the aforementioned organizations upon completion of the campaign.

I can be reached via Facebook or email. 

Much Love,

Lukas-Karim Merhi

A Proud yet Heart-Broken Lebanese