On August 4, a pair of explosions in Beirut, Lebanon destroyed huge swaths of the city. The blasts killed more than 150 people, wounded more than 5,000 and caused widespread damage. More than 750,000 people live in the parts of the city that were damaged and more than 250,000 have been displaced and made homeless. The explosions also damaged several hospitals, destroyed 17 containers of PPE, and razed a major port in a country that imports 85% of its food.  Prior to this disaster, Lebanon was already contending with several serious economic and social challenges related to the devaluation of their currency, increasing numbers of Syrian refugees entering the country and the coronavirus pandemic. 

In response to this profound and urgent disaster, we are committing $100,000 from the Bain Capital Relief Fund to support two organizations at the forefront of the relief and rebuilding effort: International Medical Corps and Save the Children.  These organizations are directly addressing the immediate need for medical assistance, food, and shelter as well as making plans to support the city and its children as they rebuild and grapple with the trauma of this disaster.

Organizations supporting relief in Beirut

International Medical Corps

Bain Capital will provide $50,000 to International Medical Corps, a global, non-profit, humanitarian aid organization that has been working in Lebanon since 2006. International Medical Corps has launched an emergency response and is coordinating closely with the government and other responders to quickly provide help to overwhelmed hospitals and health facilities.

Save the Children

Bain Capital will also provide $50,000 to Save the Children, the world’s leading charity for children that has been on the ground in Lebanon since 1953. Save the Children has set-up an emergency appeal and is in the process of assessing the scale of the damage and the impact the explosion had on the most vulnerable, including their immediate and most critical needs like food, shelter, and psychosocial support.

About the Bain Capital Relief Fund

The Bain Capital Relief Fund builds on the firm’s long history of supporting disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, Fukushima and numerous other incidents. The fund was seeded with contributions from Bain Capital managing directors and employees, and grants are deployed to nonprofit organizations delivering humanitarian relief and ongoing reconstruction assistance in response to major crises that occur around the world. Since inception, the Relief Fund has provided $950,000 to nonprofit organizations supporting relief and reconstruction after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Michael in Florida, the Camp wildfire in northern California, Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa, flooding in Nebraska, Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, the bushfires in Australia, and the explosion in Beirut.