Bruce Crowther appeals for Fair Trade movement to raise £30,000 to support survivors of Beirut explosion

The director of the Garstang based The FIG Tree, who has visited Fair Trade initiatives in Lebanon, said: “The FIG Tree is proud to build a bridge between Fair Trade Towns internationally and the Fair Trade village of Baskinta in Lebanon to make an appeal to help support survivors of the blast."

He continued: "This is a relatively small appeal aiming to raise £30,000 towards providing much needed relief for the Lebanese people. In just a few seconds the catastrophic explosion destroyed the capital city leaving more than 180 dead, dozens missing, around 6,000 injured and over a quarter million people homeless.

"The blast accentuated the terrible situation already facing Lebanon; a country seven times smaller than the Republic of Ireland yet with a population almost one and a half times greater, a third of which consists of refugees fleeing war torn Syria. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic collapse alongside the fluctuation of the Lebanese pound and the political turmoil, this explosion has dissipated all hope."

Bruce added: "With nine Fair Trade villages Lebanon is a part of the Fair Trade Towns family and in 2016 the Fair Trade village of Baskinta hosted the International Fair Trade Towns Conference – Building Bridges through Fair Trade."

The FIG Tree is an organisation devoted to providing information and education about Fair Trade. It used to have a cafe and information centre in Garstang.

Bruce said : "A donation of £10 will provide a family of three with a food basket to feed them for one day. A donation of £50 will give a family of three a temporary shelter for ten days, along with basic essentials. A donation of £100 will help provide the reconstruction materials (doors, windows and restoration work) for a 100m square house or the restoration of a 40m square shop."

For further information and/or to donate see the Beirut appeal page at www.fairtradecentre.org