Four children who were horrified to the hear news of a large blast that devastated the city of Beirut are cycling to raise money for those affected by the inferno.
The children from the Shah family in Watford and Luton, whose ages range between four to ten, aim to raise at least £1,000 in a five-mile bike ride on September 5 for those impacted by the blast in Lebanon on August 4.
Nearly 200 people have been declared dead and an estimated 6,000 injured following the blast thought to be from an ammonium nitrate warehouse in the port area of the capital.
Shazia Shah, the mother of Maya and Sayf from Watford, was horrified when watching the news and seeing the impact of the blast.
Cousins Inayah and Rayaan from Luton will also be taking part in the five-mile ride.
From left to right: Maya, Sayf, Inayah and Rayaan
While not being Lebanese themselves, she explained to her children what had happened and the destruction it had caused – including the around 300,000 people left homeless.
The children were eager to find some way to help the Lebanese citizens struggling after the blast, particularly after the economic impact following the Covid-19 outbreak and the continuous Lebanese ‘October Revolution’ protests since 2019 against government failures, corruption and austerity.
One angle of the blast from Beirut (Photo: PA)
Moina Shah said her children were “interested” in finding some solution, and her son sparked the idea of doing a sponsored bike ride.
She said: “It was really upsetting to watch. I also have a lot of Lebanese friends who know people that are genuinely affected and struggling from the blast.
“The blast was another disaster added to their other problems.”
The Shah children will raise money for Beirut
Ms Shah explained that had there not been a pandemic, she would have likely travelled to Lebanon and help with any aid possible.
An investigation is ongoing to find out what sparked the fire which ignited the chemicals behind the blast.
Many within the country want the investigation to be taken out of the hand of the government entirely, as they fear the government may interfere with the findings.
An overview showing where many buildings were destroyed in the blast (Photo: PA)
Lebanese forensics expert Omar Nachabe told local channel LBCI: "I want a quick and serious investigation, yet the government has not shown until now that it is up to the task."
All money raised from the Shah family will go towards the Zahra Trust, a charity which aims to help those affected by war, poverty and hunger.
To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page here: https://gf.me/u/ypsx48
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