411 kg relief supplies in baggage
Support for Lebanon after explosion in Beirut / help alliance enables free baggage allowance for partner organization
On August 23, Jacqueline Flory – founder of our partner organization Zeltschule e.V. for the project Tent Schools for Refugees – went to the place where the world had been shockingly turning its attention a few weeks ago. On August 4th, two devastating explosions occurred at the port of the Lebanese capital Beirut. In addition to the many fatalities, thousands were injured, some of them seriously, and around 300,000 people were left homeless overnight. Many of the apartments are completely destroyed or have damage in need of repair.
In the midst of the global pandemic, Lebanon, already economically devastated, now finds itself in a disastrous economic and political situation. The transitional government, which was only appointed in October, has resigned. Due to rising corona infections, there is also a new lockdown in the country. The people on the ground lack everything! Our partner organization Zeltschule e.V. has been supporting Syrian refugees in so-called tent school camps for more than four years and in 2019 the crane school was opened with the support of help alliance. Against the background of the terrible explosions and the resulting catastrophic supply situation in the country, however, the organization did not hesitate for a moment and decided to extend its help, in addition to continuing the work in the refugee camps, and to use a fund to provide acute support to the hard-hit people in Beirut and to supply them with food and emergency shelter.
Free baggage allowance as an exception
Jacqueline and her children Lilith and Linus flew to Beirut at the end of August. And they didn’t come without help – they had 411 kg of relief supplies in their luggage! Of these 6900 masks, over 1000 diapers, face visors and feminine hygiene products. They also took the school materials for another tent school to Lebanon. Although the schools are currently closed again due to the renewed lockdown and the children are working on their tasks in the tents, a new tent school was allowed to open on their trip with a special permit. Thanks to the great support of the help alliance community in Munich, the project coordinator Kerstin Greischel and several Lufthansa colleagues in Munich and Frankfurt it was possible to fly the relief supplies in a specially marked container via Frankfurt to Beirut. Due to the critical situation in Lebanon, Lufthansa transported the entire luggage exceptionally without extra costs.
“We are grateful to have contributed that the urgently needed help arrived where it was and is needed most”.
– Udo Janurek, Lufthansa Station Manager, Munich
On August 29, Jacqueline and her children arrived safely back in Germany after an eventful week. Nevertheless, after the journey is before the journey: The family hopes to be able to travel to Lebanon again in the autumn vacations and to continue with their help.
The container tag for the relief supplies on their way from Munich to Beirut
