August, 2020 (Beirut, Lebanon) – Two weeks after a devastating blast in Beirut’s port area that killed close to 200 people and injured thousands more, cleanup efforts are still underway. According to locals on the ground working with American NGO, DTCare, they’ve barely scratched the surface of the monumental task of cleanup, and are now facing the looming threat of a COVID-19 shutdown.
The DTCare Lebanon ground team, in coordination with their United States office, was among the first American NGO on the scene following the deadly explosion on August 4th. The organization had been in Lebanon developing an NGO to help Syrian refugees, and because of their close proximity, they were some of the first responders to the scene, able to mobilize and provide aid to the people of Beirut the same night of the blast.
The DTCare team on the ground coordinated with the Municipality before the start of the cleanup mission and were allocated a specific landfill just 8 Kilometers away from the cleaning locations. Over the course of seven days, the DTCare team has cleared 200 tons of debris a day (1,000 tons) from the narrow streets of Beirut, a challenge considering the near-constant traffic paralyzing the mobility and speed necessary for machinery and volunteers.
The blast destroyed a major grain silo, which is critical considering Lebanon imports a majority of their wheat. To help cope with the food scarcity, the DTCare team is distributing 10 rations, daily, to families affected by the blast. Currently, they have been able to distribute 55 food rations, with each ration capable of feeding a family of four for a period of three months. Items included in the DTCare ration box include rice, flour, sugar, salt, tuna, oil, mushrooms, beans, chickpeas, and local grains other than wheat.
For the mission, DTCare partnered with the Contingency Operations Group (COG), which has been set up as a special purpose vehicle for any and all matters with US Corporations represented in Lebanon, helping facilitate all of their business interests in the region. Being the first US organization to jump to the rescue of Lebanon in this time of crisis by sending funds, products and support related to the relief effort, DTCare gained COG’s trust, attention and priority. Their independent status has allowed them to be successful in their efforts, as they remain free of ties to specific religious or political affiliations.
COG team members have served and supported the US troops who were deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq under the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 2001 and through the extent of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 2003 to 2010. DTCare’s management team is very well versed in US defense contracting and State Department operations in the region, following all policies, procedures, regulations and, most importantly, transparency and compliance.
Although the operation is a small dent in the overall relief effort, the DTCare team has been incredibly effective and efficient in their mission, and will remain engaged for the duration of the cleanup effort. Currently, the team is racing to do as much as possibly before the rainy season arrives in October. DTCare predicts the cleanup effort to last between 3 to 5 months in total, weather permitting. For the Silo, Lainya Magaña.
