The federal government will match all individual donations from Canadians to humanitarian relief efforts in Lebanon following this weekB次元官网网址檚 deadly explosion in Beirut.

International Development Minister Karina Gould says Canadians can help the Lebanese people who have lost loved ones, been injured or lost homes from the explosion by giving generously.

B次元官网网址淐oncerted humanitarian action is required to meet the immediate needs of people impacted by the blast, including health care food, shelter and water,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淢y message to Canadians is this: the best way that you can help is to donate money, and for your contribution to be matched by the government of Canada, donations must be made to the humanitarian coalition or one of its partners.B次元官网网址�

Donations made by Canadians before Aug. 24 to the B次元官网网址� a group of 12 established aid organizations working on the ground in Lebanon B次元官网网址� or to one of the coalitionB次元官网网址檚 members will be matched by the federal government, up to a maximum of $2 million.

This matching fund is part of $5 million in emergency aid pledged by Ottawa earlier this week after TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 blast in LebanonB次元官网网址檚 capital. Another $1.5 million of aid has been earmarked for the Lebanese Red Cross.

Canada is directing all of its aid for this crisis directly to humanitarian organizations, not the Lebanese government, to ensure the assistance goes to those in need, Gould said.

B次元官网网址淲hat we are focused on right now is responding to the emergency at hand, working through trusted NGOs and international partners that are operating on the ground to make sure that weB次元官网网址檙e getting the assistance to the Lebanese people in need, the most vulnerable, so that we can save lives, so that we can protect the vulnerable and make sure that we are helping them get through this crisis as fast as possible.B次元官网网址�

Earlier this week, Gould told reporters any direct aid to the government of Lebanon would only come with B次元官网网址渟ignificant fiscal and political reformsB次元官网网址� in light of widespread domestic and international concerns about corruption and poor governance in the country.

The country is led by a political ruling class, made up mostly of former civil war-era leaders, and it is now being blamed for incompetence and mismanagement that contributed to TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 explosion.

This has sparked protests of anger, which led to clashes between security forces and demonstrators Saturday in central Beirut.

The blast is believed to have happened when a fire touched off a stockpile of 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate that authorities left sitting in a warehouse for years - despite years of repeated warnings from officials that it posed a danger.

The Aug. 4 explosion has left at least 150 people dead, and thousands injured. More than 300,000 people have lost their homes.

Bill Chambers, president and CEO of Save the Children, one of the Humanitarian CoalitionB次元官网网址檚 member organizations, says he hopes CanadaB次元官网网址檚 matching fund program will encourage Canadians to seize the opportunity to double the size of their donations.

B次元官网网址淭his horrific incident could not have occurred at a worse time and has hit communities that were already suffering from the impact of COVID-19 and the economic deterioration in Lebanon,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淥ver 100,000 children are now homeless and in need of immediate care.B次元官网网址�

Even before the explosion, thousands of people were struggling to feed themselves and their families due to an economic and financial crisis in the country. The explosion has only worsened the situation on the ground for the most vulnerable, Chambers said.

B次元官网网址淲hat is needed in the immediate emergency to keep these people alive is funds, dollars that can be, first of all, matched by the Canadian government and can be put to the most urgent needs in the moment, on the ground,B次元官网网址� he said.

Gould says Canada has so far received 64 requests for assistance from Canadians in Lebanon, but due to privacy concerns she could not share details except that these requests have included inquiries about consular support.

B次元官网网址淐anadian-based and locally engaged staff in Beirut are regrouping and the embassy will be open again on Monday, Aug. 10,B次元官网网址� Gould said.

B次元官网网址� With files from The Associated Press

Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press

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