Camille Melki with Heart for Lebanon said the lack of accountability makes the pain worse.

“Here we are, five years later, and we still don’t know what caused it. Why [were] those ammonium nitrate [containers] in 3,000 tons stored at the port of Beirut? What ignited this incident?” he said.

Heart for Lebanon workers help clean up in the aftermath of the 2020 port explosion in Beirut.
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

A full investigation has faced numerous roadblocks and years-long delays from Lebanese officials. It is underway again as of early 2025.

Yet though justice is right to pursue, true hope for Lebanon doesn’t depend on that justice. That’s what Melki’s then 79-year-old mother showed after the explosion. 

When his mother entered her ruined home for the first time, Melki could see she was deeply distressed. She and his father had rebuilt their business seven times during Lebanon’s civil war and their home three times. This was another trial. 

“Then I see Mom walking towards her piano, clean up the debris off her piano and start playing,” Melki said. 

A video of her playing “Auld Lang Syne” in her shattered living room went viral. It led to TV interviews where Melki’s mother shared that her strength and hope come from Christ alone. 

“Five years later, every time my mom walks down the street, somebody want[s] to greet her and ask her to ‘keep playing the piano,’” Melki said. 

Hope is what Heart for Lebanon seeks to bring. In the aftermath of the 2020 port explosion, they rallied volunteers to clear debris and salvage what they could in the ruins. Even people who were refugees were among them. Normally the ones being served by Heart for Lebanon, the refugees were instead the ones helping citizens of Beirut recover. 

“Everything we do, we do it unconditionally. But also we want them to know that what drives us is the love of Jesus Christ that [He] has for every man and woman who is hurting and suffering,” said Melki. 

“So first, pray for us. Second, join us in leading people out of despair into hope in Jesus Christ.”

Learn how you can partner with Heart for Lebanon here. 

Header photo: Port of Beirut after the August 4 explosion. (Photo courtesy of rashid khreiss via Unsplash)

See our full Lebanon coverage here.

It’s the latest chapter in Lebanon’s dramatic saga. An ongoing fuel crisis is getting worse, triggering a further decline in the food and health sectors.

As described here, Lebanese who can afford food are afraid to buy perishable items because refrigerators are useless without electricity. Food poisoning is a severe risk. Plus, hospitals have had to suspend operations because the power grid is unreliable.

“It’s been really hard to see so many people struggling so much. Even [during] the civil war, [we] never lived this way,” Nuna of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says.

“This is a situation I am finding hard to navigate. How much more [difficult is it] for people who cannot even afford the minimum?”

Around 78-percent of Lebanese live in poverty now, according to the United Nations, and scores have turned to Triumphant Mercy for help. However, the prices of daily goods are constantly changing, Nuna says. The fluctuation makes it nearly impossible for ministry leaders to budget and plan.

TM Lebanon workers oversee food aid distributions to needy Lebanese.
(Photo courtesy of TM Lebanon)

“We have to keep on revising everything, and it’s a headache. We all have this struggle every day,” Nuna says.

“What am I paying for the food pack this month? I don’t know. Every time [we plan an outreach], we have to revise everything; it’s complicated.”

There’s at least one silver lining. “People are so open now; they need something to hold on to. It’s so easy now to preach the Gospel. That’s the biggest advantage of the situation,” Nuna says.

“In the beginning, people did not need Jesus. They were relying on their work, strength, money in the bank, or whatever. But now, the situation is so different [and] they have to rely on something, so it’s easy to preach the Gospel.”

TM Lebanon seeks to transform lives by holistically meeting needs through its community centers. Learn more here.

Header image depicts the aftermath of the August 2020 port explosions in Beirut, Lebanon. (Wikimedia Commons)