Lebanon Activity Log | November 2024
This log offers a daily snapshot of Anera’s humanitarian work in Lebanon, based on real-time updates from our staff. It highlights the dedication and local leadership driving our programs, though not all activities are captured. Entries may be added retroactively as reports become available. Bookmark www.anera.org/lebanon-activity-log for convenient access to the latest entries.
Your support is critical to ensure families impacted by this crisis in Lebanon receive the help they need.
November 27, 2024
We welcome the news of a ceasefire in Lebanon and are relieved that many of our staff members, along with many others who were displaced, are beginning to return to their homes. However, not everyone is so fortunate.
Countless families lost everything and remain displaced, and the need for urgent assistance continues. In the coming days, our team will work to assess the aftermath and address the most pressing needs. With winter here, we are distributing essential items like coats, blankets, and warm clothing to help families endure the cold. We are also providing meals and hygiene kits, including menstrual pads, to ensure dignity and care for those in need. Your continued support is making this vital work possible.
Together, we can help families recover and rebuild. Please join us in supporting Lebanon’s recovery efforts at anera.org/lebanon-emergency.
November 26, 2024
After 14 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah, a ceasefire agreement has been reached. Both the Israeli and Lebanese governments have approved the deal, which includes Israel’s complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah’s retreat north of the Litani River. The Lebanese Army will also be deployed in the south as part of the terms. The ceasefire is scheduled to take effect on November 27, 2024.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel continues to carry out airstrikes on Lebanon in the final hours leading up to the truce. These bombings appear to be aimed at inflicting more destruction before the conflict officially ends.
Meanwhile, Lebanon is struggling with the severe aftermath of the prolonged war. The country faces a dramatic increase in displaced persons, ongoing economic hardship, and a diminishing international focus on its humanitarian crisis. As the war winds down, Lebanon is left to contend with overwhelming internal displacement, crumbling infrastructure, and the immense challenge of rebuilding amidst persistent political and economic instability.
Our first awareness session on hygiene and cholera prevention for internally displaced people was successfully held at the Dekwaneh Technical Institute, in collaboration with Nahno volunteers. This session aimed to equip displaced individuals with critical knowledge on maintaining hygiene and preventing the spread of cholera. Participants were provided with essential information and practical guidance to safeguard their health in challenging conditions.
As winter sets in across Lebanon, families living in displacement are facing increasingly dire conditions. In high-altitude areas like Akkar, parts of Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, temperatures have dropped to around 46°F and will only continue to fall. For families who have lost everything or have little to begin with, the cold presents life-threatening challenges.
Many displaced families live in shelters that are inadequate to protect them from harsh winter temperatures. These shelters often have broken toilets with no flush systems, holes in bathroom doors, no locks for privacy, no hot water, and broken windows. Some lack showers entirely, or have just one shared by an entire building. These conditions, compounded by freezing temperatures, leave families vulnerable to illness, unsanitary environments, and unsafe living situations, particularly for women and children.
Anera is responding by distributing winter kits, including warm clothing items, to families in need, especially in the hardest-hit areas. These distributions are critical for providing immediate relief to families struggling to stay warm in freezing conditions. Recognizing the specific needs of women, Anera is also providing hygiene kits to address urgent health and safety concerns, ensuring dignity and care for those most at risk.
Anera’s efforts aim to alleviate these hardships, but the scale of the need is immense, and continued support is critical. With your help, we can bring warmth, safety, and hope to families enduring these unimaginable hardships. Consider giving at anera.org/lebanon-emergency.
November 25, 2024
Israeli airstrikes have devastated Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as Tyre, Nabatiyeh, and Baalbek-Hermel, killing 31 and displacing thousands. Strikes destroyed residential and commercial areas, leaving widespread damage and casualties, including many civilians. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports over 3,760 deaths during the 13-month war, which has displaced 1.2 million people.
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah have advanced, proposing mutual withdrawals and increased Lebanese Army patrols in the south.
Anera’s North Lebanon team is working tirelessly to ensure that the water distributed to shelters across the region is safe and clean. Our dedicated colleagues conduct thorough water testing at every water filling operation in the centers housing displaced people from the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. This critical process guarantees that those seeking refuge have access to safe drinking water.
November 24, 2024
Lebanon continues to face intensified violence, with Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Beirut, particularly the Dahieh neighborhood. These attacks continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, with escalating displacement and strained resources.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, called for immediate ceasefire efforts and has pledged financial aid to Lebanon’s army. The EU also urged Lebanese political leaders to address the two-year presidential vacancy to restore governance stability.
November 23, 2024
A devastating Israeli airstrike targeted an eight-story residential building in the Basta area of central Beirut. The attack killed at least 11 people and wounded 63 others, with reports indicating significant damage to nearby structures. The strike is just one of several in Beirut. This escalation has further destabilized Lebanon’s capital, with the humanitarian toll mounting as civilian infrastructure continues to suffer severe damage.
Ceasefire talks are still on-going with no signal of when there will be an agreement.
November 22, 2024
Today marks Lebanon’s Independence Day amidst the backdrop of the ongoing war that has devastated the nation. Argentina has announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping mission established to oversee southern Lebanon’s border. This decision signifies a significant shift in the composition and capacity of UNIFIL as it grapples with challenges stemming from the intensifying war.
The ongoing Israeli bombing and invasion has taken a devastating toll on civilian life and further destabilized southern Lebanon. Argentina’s departure underscores the mounting strain on international peacekeeping efforts aimed at preserving stability and preventing further escalation.
Rumored ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah have formally begun, with both sides showing signs of interest in a resolution. Discussions have focused on potential mutual withdrawals of forces from southern Lebanon, as well as the deployment of Lebanese army troops alongside UN peacekeepers. However, key points, such as Israeli airstrike rights and sovereignty concerns, remain unresolved.
November 21, 2024
Today, we distributed 235 sleeping bags to six shelters in the north. We also delivered 12,000 liters of water for the 133 displaced people sheltering at Kfar Habo Formal School.
And with help from young volunteers from the National Volunteering Platform, Nahno Volunteers, we sorted winter clothes donated by FabricAid for distribution to shelters.
The Makani continues conducting awareness sessions on personal hygiene, cholera, scabies, and lice in UNRWA shelters for displaced people. These efforts are essential in preventing the spread of diseases and promoting the health and well-being of the community.
November 20, 2024
Today, by coincidence, we met Fadwa, one of the participants in our rooftop garden program from Maarakeh in the South. She is now displaced and sheltering at Burj Al Arab municipality hall in Akkar. She introduced herself and proudly shared the latest harvest from the program in Beddawi camp.
November 19, 2024
Today, we launched barber services in Akkar, starting with the shelter in Sheikh Mohammad. We anticipate providing haircut services to 28 displaced today. Across the north, we have provided 1,700 haircuts across 43 shelters, while supporting nine barbers, most of whom are themselves displaced. We have also distributed 100 packs of sanitary pads at a shelter in Koura.
November 18, 2024
With jobs scarce, with support from UNICEF we organized a cooking course that provides young people with paid training at the LAID community kitchen in Barja.
Today, we received an air shipment of medicines donated by Tulipe with the support of the government of France.
Also today, we resumed our community health and wellbeing program, Makani, in relatively safe areas of the country.
Anera has provided 14,000 units of IV solutions, donated by HPIC, to be distributed to hospitals in Lebanon in coordination with the Ministry of Health.
November 16, 2024
We’re launching a new kitchen in Saida today called Education Planet to provide about 1,200 hot meals to four sites of displaced people.
November 15, 2024
Today, Anera’s North Team distributed 599 blankets and 45 winter kits, generously provided by UNICEF, to eight collective shelters.
November 14, 2024
Today, Anera’s Akkar team distributed 287 sleeping bags and 211 blankets to three collective shelters, providing warmth and comfort to displaced families.
In partnership with WFP, we also facilitated the distribution of 152 dinner meals over 10 days, provided by Safadi Foundation and funded by ILO, to residents of three collective shelters.
Anera’s North team has now reached 1,321 displaced individuals across Lebanon. Additionally, fresh haircuts are being offered to displaced individuals in 40 shelters, bringing small moments of normalcy and care to those in need.
Our psychosocial support (PSS) activities, conducted in collaboration with MOSA and UNICEF, reached 45 children at two collective shelters in the North, providing essential emotional support and engagement.
Our team also worked to ensure access to clean water, refilling 4,500 liters at Al Badawi Technical Formal School, which hosts 75 displaced individuals, and another 4,500 liters at Al Fadila Formal School for Girls, hosting 76 individuals.
November 13, 2024
In Baddawi Palestinian Refugee Camp, Anera distributed 126 blankets, 300 mattresses, and 72 hygiene kits to displaced people today.
We also distributed 127 mattresses, 90 blankets, 75 winter kits supplied by UNICEF, and 1,189 gallons (4,500 liters) of water to eight shelters in the North governorate.
And in Tarik El Jdide, we distributed 200 blankets and 50 sleeping bags. We were joined by television presenter Rabia Zayyat.
Also today, we conducted a first aid training with the Lebanese Red Cross in Beirut for Anera staff and partners.
November 12, 2024
Today we continued to prepare and serve hot meals for 1,115 people in four schools in Saida.
November 11, 2024
Today, our team in the north delivered 2,642 gallons (10,000 liters) of water to Dar Ammar Secondary School, where 90 displaced people are sheltering. We also delivered 1,189 gallons (4,500 liters) of water at Al Fadila Formal School, where 76 displaced persons are staying.
And in the south, we again distributed 1,115 hot meals across four school shelters in Saida today.
November 9, 2024
Today, we served 1,115 hot meals across four school shelters in Saida.
And in Akkar, with support from Nahno Volunteers – the National Volunteering Platform we distributed 310 sleeping bags to six shelters.
November 8, 2024
Today, we continued serving hot meals for 1,115 people across four schools in Saida.
Also today, in collaboration with HCL Lebanon we delivered ten fridges and ten washing machines to ten collective shelters.
November 7, 2024
Multiple Israeli strikes targeted the entrance of Baalbek’s Roman Temple, scattering shrapnel that impacted the historic Roman pillars.
Today, Anera distributed 100 sleeping bags in Sad Al Bochrieh, Maten. And we distributed another 100 sleeping bags in Kfardebian, Keserwan, Mount Lebanon. These sleeping bags were made by Anera’s vocational sewing course trainees, with support from UNICEF and funding from KFW.
Also today we conducted quality assessments of the water supplies, heating systems and water amenities at 12 shelters in North Lebanon and Akkar.
November 6, 2024
Anera’s north team continues to provide critical aid to displaced communities in Lebanon. Recently, 200 sleeping bags were delivered directly to Sky Bar – Beirut. These sleeping bags were lovingly handmade by talented youth participating in Anera’s vocational sewing course, in partnership with Safadi, empowering them while supporting those in need.
In coordination with UNRWA and local organizations in Beddawi, Anera reached 838 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from 126 families, distributing 174 blankets, 300 mattresses, and 48 hygiene kits to improve their living conditions.
Additionally, Anera’s northern team has provided essential services to 251 displaced individuals, offering free haircuts at 40 shelters to help maintain personal hygiene and dignity in difficult circumstances.
In Aley, Baisour, Ainab, and Khalda, Anera distributed 299 blankets to 6 shelters, ensuring that families have warmth and comfort as they face the challenges of displacement.
November 5, 2024
Anera’s Lebanon Deputy Director, Dima Zayat, and Project Manager, Charbel Chkeir, were interviewed on “Voice of Lebanon” about Anera’s ongoing humanitarian response in Lebanon.
Donated clothing from Fabric AID arrived at Anera’s north warehouse, ready for distribution to those in need. In addition, Anera’s Akkar team distributed 198 sleeping bags to two collective shelters, ensuring that displaced people have essential comfort during the cold nights.
In collaboration with HLC, Anera was able to deliver additional in-kind support. Akram Awayda Public School in Mina, which is currently hosting 235 internally displaced people, received a refrigerator and washing machine to improve living conditions for the displaced families taking refuge there. A similar donation—a refrigerator—was delivered to Al Qlayaat Public School in Akkar, which serves as a temporary shelter for 50 displaced individuals.
Finally, Anera’s northern team also carried out an essential service by refilling 4,500 liters of water at Al Fadila Formal School, which is hosting 76 displaced people. This effort ensures that those in shelter have access to clean water, an essential resource for health and hygiene.
These ongoing deliveries and partnerships highlight Anera’s continued commitment to providing life-saving support to displaced populations across Lebanon. Our teams are working tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable families receive the aid they need to survive and rebuild their lives.
November 4, 2024
Today, in the North governorate we supplied 4,500 liters of water to Wissam Eid Secondary Formal School which hosts 90 displaced people.
And in the Bekaa, we launched barber services at more than 10 shelters in Rachaya.
November 3, 2024
Today Mohamad and Khalid – past students at our vocational milling and baking course with our partner LARI – opened their own bakery, Lakiss Bakery, in Al Marj, Bekaa through our business startup project funded by UNICEF.
November 2, 2024
Today we distributed 400 sets of clothing to shelters in Dahr El Ahmar, Al Bireh, and Jeb Farah in Rachaya, Bekaa, in collaboration with our partner RECO (جمعية اللقاء البيئي) and with the support of Nahno National Volunteering Platform volunteers.
November 1, 2024
Today we distributed 300 blankets to several shelters in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
At four shelters in Rachaya in the Bekaa area, we distributed the first batch of winter clothes donated by Fabric Aid.
In the North governorate, we distributed 109 winter clothing kits provided by UNICEF to three shelters in the Dannieh mountain area.
We also delivered and installed one refrigerator and one washing machine each at four shelters: Kfardenis Municipality Collective Shelter, El Mhaydseh Official School, CNAM Bikfaya, and Beit Chabeb Official School.
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