An emergency team from Qatar Red Crescent's (QRCS) mission in Lebanon immediately intervened to help the Syrian refugees affected by a fire at the Al-Raed refugee camp, Mandara, Beqaa.
Started at one tent, the big fire exploded a gas cylinder and a heating oil tank, destroying the camp's 87 tents, which accommodated 102 displaced families.
Other responders included the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Lebanese Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Union of Relief and Development Associations (URDA).
Civil Defense personnel extinguished the fire and moved the injured victims to Beqaa hospitals.
QRCS was assigned to provide drinking water through its water purification project, co-implemented by the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society (KRCS). ICRC distributed food, while miscellaneous humanitarian organizations provided water and temporary shelters. UNHCR will rebuild the camp.
Hussein Hamdan, Programme Manager, QRCS's mission in Lebanon, said, "It is not the first time we take action against emergency incidents like fires and floods. In cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross, we held risk reduction courses over one year for refugees at the camps with frequent accidents. Also, fire extinguishers were distributed".
He noted that QRCS works closely with active partners in Beqaa to control such emergencies and build safer, well-designed camps.