Social & Economic Action for Lebanon, Inc.

The Beirut Project has partnered with SEAL to start a donation campaign for Beirut relief efforts and have pledged to personally match donations sent to us. We have already matched $100,000 in donations. 

All proceeds will go to SEAL’s Beirut Emergency Fund. SEAL is a Lebanese American non-profit and non-political organization focused on taking action against the severe social and economic problems facing post-war Lebanon’s underserved communities. As a result of the recent disaster, SEAL has partnered with numerous organizations including LIFE, LebNet, Impact Lebanon, and Lebanon Foundation in order to raise an Emergency Fund. The money will be used to support local organizations and provide relief assistance.

Former NBA basketball player and music producer Rony Seikaly is quickly responding to the tragic explosion in Beirut and needs your support. He is personally donating $100,000 to relief efforts in Lebanon. But he urgently needs your help to reach more people in need. 

More than 300,000 people are left homeless after a massive explosion devastated Beirut on August 4. At least 137 people have died, more than 5,000 are injured, and many are still missing. With the Beirut Port destroyed, the country is left with only a few days worth of food and medical supplies. 

Rony partnered with SEAL, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in New York City, to help with this immediate crisis. Launched in 1997 by a group of Lebanese-Americans, SEAL has since played a critical role in helping underserved communities in Lebanon.

SEAL will direct the funds in full transparency to well-vetted NGOs based in Lebanon. Their focus is on: Shelter, Food, Medication/Medical Support, and Rehabilitation.

To date, the following NGOs have been selected: the Lebanese Red Cross, Beit El Baraka, Arcenciel, AlGhina, Lebanon Needs, Nusaned, and Offre Joie. Others are currently being vetted. 

Join Rony in response to this devastating tragedy. Every donation, no matter how small, counts more than you know.

All donations are fully tax-deductible.

This campaign is organized by the Lebanese Club at MIT and the MIT Arab Alumni Association. All proceedings collected will go to the Beirut Emergency Fund, launched by SEAL, which you can learn more about here .

The Beirut Emergency Fund's disbursement of the funds will be strictly governed with full transparency about recipient organizations. To date the following NGOs have been selected:  AlGhina,  Arcenciel,  Beit El Baraka,  Lebanon Needs,  Lebanese Red Cross,  Nusaned and Offre Joie. Additional ones are currently in the vetting process and we will be regularly updating the list.

On August 4th a colossal explosion struck Lebanon’s capital of Beirut. The blast was said to be a fifth of the size of the one which devastated Hiroshima. The blast killed more than 150 people and injured thousands with rescue workers continuing to comb the debris for survivors. At hospitals across the city, people had been waiting for hours for updates of loved ones who were missing or were injured. “Calling my parents to check up on them was my first instinct and every ring waiting for them to answer felt like an eternity, only to find out that my mother had been hurt. My world stopped.” Adil, a student abroad said. The impact coursed through all of the capital and destroyed complete neighborhoods. About 300,000 people were immediately displaced. Families have been forced to seek temporary shelter. According to local sources, as many as 500,000 people may need assistance with basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. The explosion also brought up concerns about Lebanon’s ability to secure vital goods with its main port destroyed and its vast reliance on imports. The governor of Beirut mentioned that the explosion has resulted in an estimated $3 to 5 Billion worth of damages. “I have no house, the ceiling came down and I don’t know where to go, I really don’t know how we will recover from this. For me, this is the end” Mohammad, a business owner said.

This disaster could not come at a worse time as Lebanon was already on the brink of collapse and has seen the rate of COVID-19 infections increase over the last few weeks. Unemployment rates are soaring and the country’s poverty rate is reaching 50%. Unfortunately, the prospect of rebuilding at a time when banks are imposing capital controls is frightening to those whose homes and businesses are destroyed. In response, we are trying to raise awareness on the situation Lebanon is facing and its crucial need for international aid. Many NGOs are driving emergency relief efforts by providing shelter and reconstruction support, food and essentials, and psychological support to vulnerable families. These organizations, however, require financial assistance to be able to undergo their support to the community. 


Lebanon needs your prayers and altruism!

As you may know, I grew up in Beirut. Sadly it has been in the news this week with this devastating explosion that ranks as the most powerful in the world after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In addition to this calamity here are some other facts that compound the prospect for a disastrous outlook:

- Lebanon has the highest per capita number of refugees.
- The corruption that is gripping the government has depleted any reserves. The incompetence of that government is largely responsible for this tragedy.
- There is an acute economic crisis, ahead of the explosion, which has seen the Lebanese pound drop by 80% in the last 6 months.
-This explosion has created an estimated 300,000 new refugees, which were middle class people who are now homeless.

There is no need to go on. But there is a great need to assist those who through no fault of their own are now destitute. Through Go Fund Me your contributions will be sent to SEAL, Social and Economic Action for Lebanon, a not for profit 501 (c)(3) organization. As such your donation is tax deductible. 

Thank you for your consideration of this cause.

More information about Social & Economic Action for Lebanon, Inc.: Social & Economic Action for Lebanon (SEAL): a New York-based nonprofit that unlocks economic opportunities to strengthen under-served communities in Lebanon. We focus particularly on Women in the Workforce, Land & Agriculture, Water & Irrigation and Fishing.

In light of the disaster that’s hitting Beirut, the Lebanese diaspora organizations, Impact Lebanon, Lebnet, LIFE, and SEAL, joined by the non-governmental US based Kuwait America Foundation, alongside the Jamhour Alumni (in Europe and the US), are joining forces to form a unified humanitarian effort and have launched the Beirut Emergency Fund 2020.

The catastrophic explosion that took place in the port area of the Lebanese capital city, Beirut, on Tuesday August 4th 2020 led to more than 200 deaths, 5,000+ injured, and 300,000 displaced individuals.  As a result of the explosion, the Port of Beirut is now completely decimated, the grain silos that hold 85% of the country's wheat supply have been wiped out, and homes and properties have been destroyed within a 6-mile blast radius of the explosion. 

As Lebanese-Americans, we have many family members whose homes and livelihoods are based there, so this hits particularly close to home. Beyond our personal connection, this is a national tragedy that deserves global attention and support.  Lebanon is facing a humanitarian disaster on top of a pandemic and multiple intersecting crises ranging from economic and political to energy and public health crises. We call upon our communities to act in solidarity with Lebanon by contributing to the Beirut Emergency Fund through SEAL USA (Social and Economic Action for Lebanon, https://www.seal-usa.org), an NYC-based organization that distributes funds to multiple NGOs (nonprofits) in Lebanon. Please consider that SEAL is designated as a US charitable organization and, therefore, your donations to the Beirut Emergency Fund are eligible for 501c3 tax exemption. 

While many of us may be facing hardships of our own due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests over racial inequality and rampant racial injustices, we are asking you as colleagues, friends, family, and fellow humanitarians to act in solidarity with the Lebanese people by contributing what you can.  As a THANK YOU,  you will be sent a surprise gift created by international artists in honor of Lebanon designed for this cause. After you donate via this GoFundMe page, you will receive an email with the link to your special surprise in a few weeks.

Please continue to spread awareness and share this fundraiser with others if you cannot donate at this time!

For photos of the aftermath, please visit: https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/08/photos-aftermath-beirut-explosion/614968/

The Taul Boy Records team wants to respond to the tragic explosion in Beirut with a live stream event aimed to collect donations for the victims. 

Thousands of people have ended up homeless and injured after the explosion. The Port of Beirut the country's main port to import food and medical supplies from. After its destruction and most of the area surrounding it, many people are left stranded with no food or shelter.

We are looking to collect donations and have our companies match our time with money ($25/hr) while doing so. Everything will be donated to Social & Economic Action for Lebanon, Inc. (SEAL), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in New York City, to help with this immediate crisis. Launched in 1997 by a group of Lebanese-Americans, SEAL has since played a critical role in helping underserved communities in Lebanon.

SEAL will direct the funds in full transparency to well-vetted NGOs based in Lebanon. Their focus is on: Shelter, Food, Medication/Medical Support, and Rehabilitation.

To date, the following NGOs have been selected: the Lebanese Red Cross, Beit El Baraka, Arcenciel, AlGhina, Lebanon Needs, Nusaned, and Offre Joie. Others are currently being vetted. 

Join us in response to this devastating tragedy. All donations are fully tax-deductible.