Helping the people in Beirut return to work and school in the wake of a crisis

On 4 August 2020, Beirut was hit with a huge explosion that left more than 200 people dead, 6,500 injured, and more than 300,000 homeless and in desperate need of aid. “We still can’t believe what happened,” says student Aya Naserdine.

Nour Khoury of Deloitte Middle East lived very close to the blast. She recounts, “The first priority of Deloitte was ensuring the safety of our people because so many of our professionals live in that area. But soon after, we started to mobilize. We went down to the area of the blast and started walking the streets just to see how we could help.”

The firm quickly launched the Deloitte Fundraising appeal to support the Lebanese Red Cross, which was able to provide basic assistance to thousands of families. Deloitte professionals not only from the Middle East, but also from across the globe donated money. Says Nour, “It was really great to see how we could come together and really make an impact.”

Collaborating with non-governmental organizations like Live Love Lebanon, Deloitte also donated computers to high school students, families, and women entrepreneurs, helping them return to remote learning and working as soon as possible. “I am now able to study easily and continue learning and finish my degree,” says Aya.