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How Concern is supporting displaced families in Lebanon
Concern Lebanon have partnered with Nusaned to deliver critical humanitarian support, providing 500 hot meals daily to six displacement shelters across Beirut, in response to the crisis in Lebanon. Photo: Concern Worldwide
A major distribution of hot dinners to people who fled bombings in Lebanon is underway in Beirut following the success of the DEC Middle East Appeal.
Since late September, 1.2 million people have been displaced by bombing and conflict in Lebanon. As a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Concern launched a joint appeal that has now raised £30 million.
Some of the funds collected in the appeal have gone towards providing 26,100 hot meals to people living in temporary emergency shelters in the Lebanese capital.
Warm meals for families in Lebanon
In Lebanon, we are working with local charity Nusaned who are preparing and delivering meals to families living in school buildings while air strikes continue in parts of Beirut and throughout the country.
“People trying to escape the conflict are afraid and in desperate need of support,” said Concern’s Programme Director, Chris Connelly.
“We are very concerned that many of the 1.4 million people who fled their homes are increasingly vulnerable to hunger and that poor living conditions could see a rise in serious illnesses. Thanks to the incredible support we have in the UK, we have partnered with Nusaned to provide life changing assistance to families who fled their homes with little or nothing.”
“We are also helping to prepare people for winter because it can get extremely cold and people need warm places to live and access to basic services.”
Concern and Nusaned are also providing 800 families in Beirut with hygiene kits containing items such as soap, water purification tablets, nappies and sanitary towels.
The distribution of meals and hygiene items will continue until the end of the year, and it is hoped that there will be further aid coming into the country to continue this support in 2025.
‘I miss my bedroom. My dream is to go back home and sleep in my bed.’
Concern is also responding to the need for emergency accommodation in parts of north Lebanon where hundreds of thousands of people have fled to try and escape the conflict. This includes providing support to displaced families to help them prepare for the cold winter months. Items such as blankets, mattresses, and solar lamps are essential.
“The displaced populations here in Lebanon face significant challenges in meeting their basic needs with the winter months also fast approaching,” added Chris Connelly.
“There are also a lot of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon who have been displaced again with some needing to move to new temporary accommodation and others going back into Syria.
This humanitarian crisis has resulted in schools closing and hundreds of thousands of children have had their lives upended as they fled their neighbourhoods.
Concern is also offering psychological support to children who have been traumatised by their ordeal, including recreational activities like football.
“This humanitarian crisis has resulted in schools closing and hundreds of thousands of children have had their lives upended as they fled their neighbourhoods. One boy staying at an emergency shelter told us: ‘I miss my bedroom. My dream is to go back home and sleep in my bed.’ We will continue to do everything we can to support the most vulnerable as this conflict continues.”
Concern began its work in Lebanon in 2013 in response to a mass influx of refugees from Syria into the country. Prior to this current conflict, over 1.5 million Syrian refugees were living in Lebanon, a country with a population of 5.2 million.
