Donate to heal - Donate to rebuild
On Tuesday, August 4, 2020, Beirut and its surroundings were devastated by a massive explosion that killed 150 and injured more than 5,000 people to date. Our hearts go out to all the innocent victims, and to the families who have lost a relative, who are caring for their wounded or awaiting the return of a missing person. A spontaneous humanitarian impulse has driven and mobilized our resources at USJ - a "USJ on a mission" campaign has been working tirelessly since Tuesday to assist the victims.
Hotel-Dieu de France, USJ's Hospital, which received more than 700 wounded on the evening of the tragedy, has already launched its "disaster plan," and our teams are, as always, engaged at the frontline despite the material damage suffered by the hospital. Our preliminary estimates for repair work are $2 million -with a projected deficit of $15 million for 2021.
At USJ University, 4 of the 5 Beirut Campuses also suffered severe damages. Reconstruction and rehabilitation work on our Campuses will require several months and cost more than $5 million.
The economic, political, and health crises were already adversely impacting our university budget. If tuition fees remain unchanged, we expect a deficit of about $ 30 million in the coming year. As of September, 4,500 students will need financial aid estimated at$ 9 million.
Furthermore, for Hotel-Dieu de France, we must urgently consolidate our Social Fund, intended to help COVID-19 patients who cannot afford treatment. We have already treated half of the patients free of charge.
Your help, dear friends, is vital: it will meet both our pressing needs for essential medical equipment and materials and the rehabilitation of our Campuses. We need you! USJ and Hotel-Dieu de France need you!
Here is the link where you can make your donation:
https://www.usj.edu.lb/fondationusj/urgence.php?lang=2
It is our solidarity, our spiritual and cultural resistance that will save our battered homeland, as they always have.
Any contribution will make a difference!