May, 2025
Anera and IRT provide meals and hygiene essentials to the most vulnerable in Lebanon.
This program is supported by International Relief Teams
Since the onset of the conflict in South Lebanon, thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes with little more than what they could carry. Many ended up in overcrowded shelters, facing new daily struggles to meet their most basic needs. With kitchens destroyed, incomes disrupted, and prices soaring, accessing food and maintaining hygiene became urgent priorities.
To meet these critical needs, with support from International Relief Teams (IRT), Anera launched a project with two clear objectives: to provide nutritious hot meals to internally displaced persons and to establish safe, efficient communal kitchens as hubs of nourishment and community support.
"Without this assistance, I’m not sure if we could have afforded these essentials, as everything has become so expensive.”
A Coordinated and Compassionate Emergency Response
Throughout the project, Anera ensured that 837 displaced families received hot meals and hygiene kits through a well-organized and sustainable system. The meals brought immediate relief – especially to families living in shelters without access to cooking facilities – while the hygiene supplies helped prevent the spread of disease in tightly packed living quarters.
IRT and Anera supported four communal kitchens, each operating in full compliance with health and safety standards. These kitchens became vital lifelines, not just for delivering food, but also for promoting community engagement and utilizing local resources effectively. By ensuring quality and safety in every meal served, these kitchens offered a sense of normalcy and dignity to families facing profound upheaval.
Centering the Needs of the Most Vulnerable
The program placed a strong emphasis on equity. Women, men, children, and the elderly all had equal access to food and hygiene assistance. Anera gave particular attention to pregnant women, people with disabilities, and returnees – those attempting to go back to homes in areas where the infrastructure and health conditions remain dire.
Two Mothers’ Stories
For Farah Ali Hijazi, 29, a Lebanese mother of three displaced from Beit Lif, the struggle has been long and exhausting:
“We’ve been displaced for about a year and three months. We deeply miss our home and the comfort it brought, and staying here has been mentally exhausting. Since our displacement, my husband and I, who are usually farmers, haven’t been able to work in agriculture. There are no opportunities here, making it extremely difficult to provide even the most basic necessities for ourselves and our children. In this shelter, all the basics have been provided for us, including cleaning supplies that allow us to maintain a clean environment. Without this assistance, I’m not sure if we could have afforded these essentials, as everything has become so expensive.”
Zainab Ali Wahid, 40, a Palestinian-Lebanese mother displaced from Naqoura, echoed this sentiment:
“We’ve been displaced since the beginning of the war, and we sought refuge in this shelter because we couldn’t afford rent or move elsewhere. We left our home and everything behind. We’re being told that we might soon return to our home, and I’m thrilled by this news. Since arriving here, we haven’t had to buy cleaning supplies or other basic necessities because Anera and its donors have provided them. I’m certain our limited money wouldn’t have been enough to purchase these items ourselves. Thank you for standing by us.”
A Foundation for Recovery
This initiative provided not just meals and soap, but a foundation for resilience and recovery. In the face of instability and loss, it affirmed a simple but powerful truth: no one should go hungry or be denied dignity during a crisis.
Anera remains committed to supporting displaced families through ongoing emergencies – ensuring that even amid the hardest times, compassion, coordination, and community can carry us forward.
Lebanon
South Governorate
The South Governorate of Lebanon is a beautiful place with white beaches, archeological ruins, bustling old souks, fertile fields of citrus and banana trees, and a deep history. Its residents are from different religions: Shia and Sunni Muslims, Druze, Eastern Orthodox, Maronite, Protestant, and Greek Catholic Christians. Its biggest cities are also the third and fourth largest in the country, Saida and Tyre.
