”We express our condolences to all Lebanese students and graduates of the Peoples' Friendship University and other Soviet and Russian universities, as well as their families and loved ones” - Rector of RUDN University Oleg Yastrebov

Yesterday the port of the Lebanese capital was hit by an explosion claiming more than a hundred lives. Several thousand people were injured. Entire areas were hit by the blast.

We express our condolences to all Lebanese students and graduates of the Peoples' Friendship University and other Soviet and Russian universities, as well as their families and loved ones. RUDN University shares the pain of loss with the people of Lebanon.

Valery Mitish, Director of the Research Institute of Pediatric Emergency Surgery and Traumatology, Head of the Department of Disaster Medicine of RUDN University plans to send a team of doctors in Beirut. An international team of medical volunteers from RUDN Medical Institute is helping professionals prepare for departure.

RUDN University has especially strong ties with Beirut. 1,064 Lebanese received education at the Peoples' Friendship University. Now we have 111 Lebanese citizens, among them 75 future doctors and 13 engineers. After graduation, they will help the residents of Beirut to heal their wounds and rebuild the city.

RUDN University will pay special attention to students from Lebanon in these difficult days for Beirut.

This explosion is a shock for the whole country, for every Lebanese. Even during 15 years of the Civil War, our country did not suffer so much. We have just started to recover from the coup d’état and the coronavirus epidemic. Words cannot express how I feel. This is a real blow to all of us. Now my friends from Canada, Latin America and Russia convey words of sorrow, regret and sympathy to all the victims and their families. This tragedy has definitely shocked the whole world. We will pray for the victims. I wish them a speedy recovery and I grieve along with everyone who lost someone in this disaster.

For me and for the entire Lebanese people, what happened is the pain of loss and the belief that tomorrow will be better. We mourn for our people. I am very sorry that I am not in Lebanon, that I cannot help the victims. But our people have the strength to overcome the grief and continue what the victims did not manage to do.