One month after the explosion in the Beirut port, the situation in Lebanon is still critical. The European Endowment for Democracy (EED) is regularly in touch with its partners in Lebanon and is assessing how to best provide relevant support during this emergency.

Before the explosion, EED partner Gherbal had already played a key role in reporting corruption in the government. EED partner Megaphone is continuing to play an important role in holding the government accountable, publishing news stories on their website and social media that point to key officials responsible for the explosion.

Some EED partners in Lebanon have been focusing on offering humanitarian aid to those more affected by the blast in the past four weeks.

The conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are particularly critical following the explosion.

The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) reported discriminations against refugees from organisations and individuals distributing aid after the blast. EED partner Access Center for Human Rights are closely monitoring the impact of the explosion on Syrian refugees and are cooperating with other civil society organisations to provide support. EED partner Syria Direct published an article detailing the discrimination faced by Syrians in Lebanon in the aftermath of the explosion.

The work of EED partners, both when it comes to assisting at-risk groups like refugees and holding the government accountable, is crucial for Lebanon to overcome this moment of crisis. Over the next few months, EED will continue to provide support to its partners, focusing on groups that are not usually given priority in this type of situation, including assisting media organisations to rebuild their offices, so that they can continue their important accountability work.

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Press release