Beirut: In his efforts to help people affected by the Beirut blasts, Beirut’s local hair salon owner started a fundraiser, joining a growing list of local businesses supporting relief efforts. Daniel Bechara, a hairstylist, started a fundraiser on the site GoFundMe, to raise $50,000. So far, over $7,000 has been netted in six days.
“August 4, 2020, was a day that shattered my heart, the hearts of my fellow Lebanese people, and the rest of the world,” Bechara wrote on the fundraiser’s page. “Lebanon has experienced dark times, but nothing as devastating as the effects of COVID-19 followed by the massive explosion.”
Bechara wrote that he moved to the United States of America in 1985 and has been providing support to his family and parents in Lebanon, as the country grapples with economic turmoil.
Bechara said he plans to head back to Lebanon in early September to repair homes with the support of the mayor of Dekwaneh, a suburb near Beirut.
The Beirut explosion, which occurred on August 4, killed over 200 people and left more than 6,000 injuries. As many as 300,000 people were rendered homeless.