Launching our Nursing Scholarship Program in Lebanon
May 12, 2022, Beirut, Lebanon – In honor of International Nurses Day, we are proud to announce the launch of our Alfred and Dina Khoury Nursing Scholarship Program. Anera has initiated partnerships with the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, the University of Balamand, and the Beirut Arab University to provide quality education to the next generation of nurses in Lebanon. Today, we have officially launched our application for the program.
Lebanon’s financial crisis has plunged half of the country’s population into poverty. The healthcare sector – which has long provided patients with world-class treatment – now faces an existential threat. Thousands of healthcare professionals are leaving Lebanon in search of higher wages abroad. The World Health Organization recently reported that 30% of registered nurses have left Lebanon. Nurses are the backbone of any healthcare system and it is being strained to the limit in Lebanon.
The universities support qualified students with 40% to 50% in financial aid. Anera’s Alfred and Dina Khoury Nursing Fund covers the rest. Students come from Palestinian refugee camps as well as vulnerable Lebanese communities, where good nursing jobs can support whole families and build futures for young people.
“Nurses are the cornerstone of any healthcare system,” says Dima Zayat, Anera’s deputy director in Lebanon. “Unfortunately, we have lost thousands of our high caliber nurses and healthcare workers who had to leave the country to seek better living conditions. The Alfred and Dina Khoury Nursing Fund has come at a critical time to support Lebanon’s healthcare system’s recovery and resilience.
“As a nurse myself, I am proud of the amazing Lebanese and Palestinian nurses here in Lebanon. They have shown exemplary leadership, commitment and professionalism despite the terrible working conditions amidst the multifaceted crisis in the country. I wish them all a very Happy Nurses day!”
For more information:
For Washington, DC:
Liz Demarest
Vice President of Communications
202.266.9712
[email protected]
For Lebanon:
Serene Dardari
Communications Manager
[email protected]
About Anera
Since 1968, Anera has helped refugees and others hurt by conflicts in the Middle East live with dignity and purpose. Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate humanitarian relief and for sustainable health, education, and economic development efforts. Our staff are from the communities they serve, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most. We will keep building better lives until hope finds its way in the Middle East.