What I Saw in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon
May 25, 2023
I joined Anera in 2015. When I first started, I was taken aback at just how impressive and thoughtful Anera’s programs were (and still are!). The humanitarian and development needs in the communities where Anera works are frequently all too visible, and often it is tempting to rush in with stopgap measures to address acute distress.
Read MoreBreast Cancer Under Occupation: a Personal Perspective
Mar 16, 2023
Breast cancer is a disease that affects millions of women around the world. In fact, one in every eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. For women living in conflict zones, including the West Bank and Gaza, breast cancer can be particularly scary. When I first learned about the high breast cancer death…
Read MoreThe UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the Middle East
Dec 16, 2022
Human-centered development and expanding quality of life In a planet of 8 billion people, with finite natural resources, life looks very different for those lucky enough to be economically prosperous. Billions of people right now are living in circumstances that sharply limit their aspirations, of material deprivation, of limited access to healthcare and many of…
Read MoreBefore the Taps Run Dry
by Anera
Jul 25, 2022
Responding to Gaza’s Existential Water Crisis The semi-arid Middle East suffers from a chronic scarcity of water. The causes are many: climate change, drought, desertification, urbanization, over-consumption, waste and pollution. Politics also can present special challenges when it comes to accessing and distributing water resources. In Gaza, many of these issues are present in an…
Read MoreFundraising is an Art
by Anera
May 25, 2022
Hanin Azzam Talks about Crowdfunding in the Middle East This is the third entry in our series highlighting Arab youth change-makers. Read the first piece in the series, an interview with Sandy Boutros, and the second piece, with journalist Tahreer Mortaga on her community space and yoga studio in Gaza. Hanin Azzam is a regional…
Read MoreRoots in Palestine: Dedicated to Palestinian Refugees Since 1968
by Anera
May 15, 2022
For Palestinians around the world, May 15th marks the “Nakba” (literally “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic) which commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus during the establishment of the State of Israel. The resulting humanitarian crisis has affected geo-politics, individual states, the environment and human development in the Middle East and beyond for 71 years. It was…
Read MoreWomen on the Frontlines of Healthcare in Lebanon
by Anera
Mar 24, 2022
Women are pivotal in combating the pandemic as frontline responders, nurses, doctors, social workers, pharmacists and other health professionals in Lebanon.
Read MoreWomen on the Frontlines of Healthcare in Lebanon
by Anera
Mar 24, 2022
Lebanon’s economic crisis has only gotten worse, fueled by political hegemonies and corruption and mismanagement of resources, and further inflamed by the widespread protests against the regime, the Beirut port explosion, and finally the pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak deepened the economic crisis, leaving the country indebted, facing inflation, and a dramatically devalued Lebanese lira. Women…
Read MoreThe Only Yoga Club in Gaza
by Anera
Mar 17, 2022
This piece by Tahreer Mortaga is the second entry in our series highlighting Arab youth change-makers. Read the first piece in the series, an interview with Sandy Boutros, here. I am a Palestinian journalist from Gaza. I’ve always loved to write. In 2004, I began working for local news radio stations. And I later obtained…
Read MoreMeet Mandy: A Palestinian Engineer in Gaza
by Anera
Mar 8, 2022
In light of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, engineer Mandy Abu Kombouz talks to us about her life as a female engineer in Gaza. Standing before the school in a white hard hat and orange safety vest, Mandy Abu Kombouz is 27 years old, veiled, proud, and the only female Palestinian engineer on…
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