Sep, 2025
A recent medical aid donation is expanding access to mobility devices among vulnerable populations
With the generous support of Distribute Aid, Anera recently received and distributed a full container of essential medical and mobility supplies to support people living with disabilities across Lebanon. This shipment included more than 120 mobility aids, including wheelchairs and crutches, and over 2,000 units of supplies such as gloves and underpads.
The donation was distributed to ten health centers, reaching vulnerable Lebanese outside refugee camps and Palestinians inside refugee camps. At a time when Lebanon’s economic crisis has deeply strained healthcare and support systems, this assistance is both urgent and transformative.
Meeting critical needs in a time of crisis
An estimated 10–15% of Lebanon’s population lives with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities. Inflation, reduced social services, and systemic neglect have increased barriers for people with disabilities, from limited access to rehabilitative care to inaccessible infrastructure and heightened social stigma.
This donation provides practical, life-changing support for people with disabilities by enabling timely and dignified healthcare, even in shelters or local health centers where access to clinics is limited. Mobility aids such as wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers help individuals move independently, whether recovering from surgery or managing long-term disabilities.
And hygiene items, underpads, and assistive tables promote comfort and dignity, supporting daily care and mental well-being. Together, these supplies address urgent gaps in Lebanon’s strained healthcare system and help preserve independence, health, and quality of life for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
"These wheelchairs are critical: they are sturdy enough for the narrow, uneven paths inside camps and allow patients to move more easily within their homes.”
Voices from the field
Jamal Al-Saleh, the director of the physical therapy and rehabilitation center at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, emphasizes the impact of this support.
“Our center serves Palestinians from Ein El Hilweh — the largest refugee camp in Lebanon — as well as patients from Saida, Beirut, and nearby villages. Anera and Distribute Aid have provided an extremely important, life-changing service for people with disabilities. These wheelchairs are critical: they are sturdy enough for the narrow, uneven paths inside camps and allow patients to move more easily within their homes.”
Al-Saleh also highlights the financial barriers many patients face.
“Wheelchairs in Lebanon cost between $200 and $1,200," he says. "For many families, that’s beyond reach. Anera’s donations ensure patients receive the support they need, whether for permanent use or temporary rehabilitation after surgeries, without financial hardship.”
Razan Doumyati, the chief pharmacist at Dar Al-Ajzaa Hospital, says the shipment has directly improved patient care at her facility.
“The supplies matched our exact needs, supporting 150–180 elderly patients with medications, nutritional supplements, assistive tables, and hygiene products like diapers. Whenever a donation comes from Anera, I feel reassured and grateful, because I know the items will be well-organized, useful, and reach the patients who need them most. Every donation allows us to provide immediate care and improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable patients.”
"Every donation allows us to provide immediate care and improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable patients.”
Transforming care for Lebanon’s most at-risk populations
From mobility aids to essential medical supplies, Anera’s donation provides practical, life-changing support for individuals whose access to healthcare and rehabilitation services has been severely limited by Lebanon’s ongoing crises. By delivering these critical items, Anera helps preserve independence, dignity, and well-being for people with disabilities, making an extraordinary impact in communities across the country.
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.
