In the last year, over a million people have fled violence in Lebanon, most of them in the previous month. We have released €60,000 for food for Internally Displaced People as we prepare more aid.
Published: Oct 16, 2024 Reading time: 2 minutesIn the wake of the escalating conflict in Lebanon, we are releasing €60,000 from our Club of Friends to support internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing parts of the country under attack. The first phase of our aid is to prepare food for displaced people in Beirut. Our local partner, the Aleb Community Kitchen, will be able to prepare up to 500 meals daily for the next eight days for €5,000. We will provide the remaining funds to one of our local partners, with whom we are still negotiating.
Food is distributed to people directly or through other local initiatives and collection points (e.g., Nation Station) to the hostels and schools where the displaced temporarily stay. In affected Beirut neighbourhoods lacking financial and material assistance, members of the Civil Defence also help with distribution.
"Thanks to our support, our partner will cook 4,000 meals for those displaced from the south of the country, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. Some people are stranded on the streets as a result of the conflict, including families," says Tomas Kocian, People in Need's regional director for the Middle East.
We are negotiating with local partners regarding the appropriate use of our remaining funds.
Originally a Beirut restaurant, the Aleb facility has been transformed into a community kitchen overnight by the influx of thousands of displaced people. With the help of volunteers, they have prepared more than 10,000 meals since the end of September. Its operation would be impossible without the voluntary contributions of local residents and the Lebanese diaspora. With our help, they will prepare hot meals and sandwiches for IDPs.
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is deteriorating rapidly due to the conflict. The crisis is hitting civilians the hardest. Over the past year, according to Lebanese authorities, the conflict has claimed more than 2,200 victims and injured more than 10,000 others. The fighting has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, particularly in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to Lebanese authorities, more than one million people have had to flee their homes since the crisis began last October. Most people have become displaced in their own country in the past month.
More than 186,000 people have found temporary homes in 1,023 refugee centres, primarily in schools. More than 60% of schools in Lebanon are now serving as centres for IDPs and have not taught for weeks. Tens of thousands have taken refuge with relatives, while others are sleeping on the streets. At the same time, more than 250,000 people have fled from Lebanon to Syria in just three weeks due to the escalation of attacks. According to the UNHCR, 70% of them had previously fled to Lebanon because of the war in Syria.
The protracted economic crisis and the weak state administration in Lebanon exacerbate the situation.
