Chanel donates $700,000 to charities in Lebanon following Beirut blast

The funds will be split between four charities on the ground in Beirut

Chanel has announced it will donate $700,000 to Lebanon relief efforts. Bloomberg

Chanel has donated $700,000 (Dh2.57 million) to Lebanese charities following the deadly explosion that killed more than 170 people.

The luxury French fashion house announced the news in a statement, saying it would be supporting four local organisations on the ground in Beirut.

“The catastrophic explosion in Beirut sent Lebanon, a country already impacted by political unrest, economic instability and the current Covid-19 crisis, into further distress and suffering,” the statement reads. “Chanel has a local presence and valued long-standing partners in Lebanon, some of whom are deeply impacted.”

The funds will be split between The Lebanese Red Cross, Amel Association, Acted and Unicef. The Lebanese Red Cross, Acted and Unicef will each receive $200,000, while the Amel Association, a non-profit organisation that supports the country’s most underprivileged, will receive $100,000.

Chanel is the first major international fashion house to announce aid support for Lebanon following the blast, which happened in the capital city of Beirut on Tuesday, August 4. So far, 178 people have died as a result of the explosion, with 30 people still reported missing. An estimated 6,000 people were injured in the blast, which also destroyed large parts of the capital city.

A number of high profile names have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help with the country's relief efforts. Last week, Canadian singer The Weeknd pledged $300,000, while George and Amal Clooney announced they would be donating $100,000 to Lebanese charities.

Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande and Harry Styles have also offered financial aid to the country.