Caritas steps up aid in Lebanon
International
Caritas Lebanon distributed more than 134,000 hot meals, 1000 dignity kits, 1327 mattresses, 1328 blankets, 776 hygiene kits and 756 baby kits to displaced persons over a three-day period last month.
More than 100,000 internally displaced and affected persons have been assisted by Caritas Lebanon, in partnership with the World Food Program, since September 24.
Caritas Australia has been supporting Caritas Lebanon since the launch of its Lebanon Crisis Appeal, which initially focussed on supporting those impacted by the economic crisis in the country. Amid the new wave of displacement Caritas Lebanon has now mobilised to provide wide reaching emergency assistance.
Caritas Lebanon was established in 1972 when it helped the Lebanese population navigate the complexities of the civil war, giving the organisation decades of humanitarian response experience in the region. Over the course of 2023 Caritas Lebanon managed a portfolio of more than 50 active projects driven by 750 local and international staff members and the commitment of 1625 dynamic youth volunteers.
Caritas Lebanon strategically dots the landscape with 37 social centres, four special educational centres in the Beirut/Mount Lebanon and Bekaa governorates, as well as 12 community centres for refugees nationwide, three safe shelters for migrants, five social enterprises, 11 primary healthcare centres and eight mobile medical units. It is now drawing on all these resources to help hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
“Behind the politics of this dire and rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East are real people, families and communities fleeing their homes with nothing,” said Sally Thomas, Humanitarian Emergencies lead at Caritas Australia.
“Many of these people were already weathering one of the worst economic crises in the world in the past 150 years, and now face winter with no home and no income.
“Caritas Lebanon’s vast network is a lifeline for our brothers and sisters facing severe challenges, as is the continued compassion and generosity of the community here in Australia.”
To support Caritas Australia’s Lebanon Emergency Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/lebanon or call 1800 024 413 toll free.
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