Los Angeles, CA – August 6, 2020 — Global Bank Group (@GlobalBankGroup) has offered humanitarian, and development assistance to Lebanon after a massive explosion rocked its capital Beirut killing more than 78 people and injuring thousands on Tuesday. The President of Global Bank Group Ron Nechemia (@RonNechemia) issued the following statement:

"I pledge my fraternal solidarity with the people of Lebanon, and we share the pain and sorrows of the Lebanese people after the explosion that killed more than 78 people, wounded more than 3,000 and left an estimated 300,000 homeless in Beirut."

Video footage from Beirut shows extensive damage to the area:

The Global Bank Group’s regional office for the Middle East and North Africa Region and the Global Bank Disaster Risk Reduction and Reconstruction Fund – An Umbrella Trust Fund (@GBDRRRF) are working with partners, including Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab, to respond to the “urgent needs of Lebanon” following the “devastating explosion” that rocked Beirut on Tuesday.

Flagging its experience in providing crucial long-term support to effective post-disaster reconstruction and recovery across the world through the three stages of relief, recovery, and rehabilitation, Global Bank expressed its “very keen and sincere desire” to assist Lebanon in the recovery efforts including replenishing, rebuilding roads and telecommunications infrastructure.

The cause of the early evening explosions remains unclear, but senior officials in Lebanon said it appeared that flammable materials stored in a warehouse had caught fire. The first explosion ignited the fire, followed by two secondary blasts that sent a large mushroom cloud of pink and yellow smoke over Beirut, the newspaper reported.