AN Edinburgh-based fitness instructor has launched a fundraiser for the Lebanese Red Cross after the tragic explosion in Beirut on Tuesday.
Announcing the Scotland Helping Lebanon fundraiser on Facebook yesterday, Emma Hokayem shared an emotional video where she says: "People have lost absolutely everything, lots of lives have been lost, 300,000 people have been made homeless and, if they do still have their house, some of them are just completely unliveable."
Emma, who is married to Dany, a Lebanese man, goes on: "We have family in Lebanon who were unfortunately caught up in the explosion.
"Luckily, which is weird to say, but luckily for them they only sustained broken bones, bruising and a couple of cuts that required stitches.
"There was some structural damage to the house ... I'm sure most of you saw the devastation that has been all over the news so when I say lucky that they only sustained that it's because a lot of people have lost absolutely everything."
Laudy and John, Emma's in-laws, live 10km from the blast site, but the explosion's shockwave shattered their windows and destroyed their doors.
The blast was heard in Cyprus, about 200km (125 miles) across the Mediterranean Sea, and American seismologists said it was the equivalent of a 3.3-magnitude earthquake.
Emma adds: "Just to put it into another perspective ... if this explosion had happened in Edinburgh city centre it would affect all the way to Musselburgh, round Prestonpans, all the way down.
READ MORE: Beirut blast could not have come at a worse time for Lebanon
"It would have probably come about as far as Currie ... in Currie definitely the houses would have been demolished almost, and then all the way back to Kirkliston way.
"That's the size of the area that it impacted, so imagine how many people are living there, how many families it has affected."
She goes on to say how important it is for the rest of the world to stand in solidarity with those affected by tragedy.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has impacted on all of us, Emma asks anyone who can to consider contributing to her fundraiser, which at the time of writing has raised £1644 of the £2500 goal.
Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said the collective losses from the blast may reach £11 billion.
Anyone looking to donate can do so here and Emma's Facebook video can be watched below:
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