Winter has hit Lebanon full force with its freezing temperatures, bone-chilling wind and snow.
Refugees in Lebanon face the harsh conditions with little heat or proper clothing. Palestinian families fled their homes in Syria, leaving everything behind except a few articles of clothing and a pair or two of summer shoes.
Anera has partnered with Najdeh Association to respond with a winter kit distribution to 1,300 families in northern Lebanon’s Beddawi Camp. Each kit consists of blankets, children’s clothes, an insulating straw mat and an emergency light unit. Families also receive assistance in properly managing winter illnesses. Funding for the kits came from UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief) and Johnson & Johnson.
“The kit had lots of good, helpful, high-quality items and, with the several hours of power cuts, the lanterns fill a huge gap,” says Hana Al Einen, head of Najdeh Association in the camp.
Naseer from Syria, a father of three, also expressed his appreciation for the emergency lights. “Our neighbors are living in a basement and their children are studying by candle light,” says Nasser. “Many kids drop out of school because they can’t study at night, so the lanterns are essential.”
The kit had lots of good, helpful, high-quality items and, with the several hours of power cuts, the lanterns fill a huge gap.
Winterization Program Reaches Families with Special Needs
“Palestinians with special needs in Beddawi camp are usually the most marginalized and forgotten group when there are humanitarian crises,” says Ahmad Daoud, emergency officer at CBRA, local partner of Anera.
“In this distribution, we focused on 300 families who live with special needs and could really use a little extra help this winter.”
Fidaa Al Arid brought her seven-year-old daughter Maria to help pick up the winter kit. Maria suffers from cerebral palsy, making it difficult to walk. The mother of six explains that Maria needs assistance around the clock.“ I am very happy to have this kit and glad for the lighting as well as the winter clothes for my daughter.”
Anera Delivers 4,000 Blankets to Refugee Families in Nahr El Bared and Burj El Barajneh
In nearby Nahr El Bared camp and in Burj El Barajneh camp outside Beirut, Anera has distributed 4,000 blankets, thanks to the generosity of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Charities that wanted to provide winterization support to Palestinian refugee families. The two camps host thousands of Palestinian families who fled the war in Syria, which has been raging for four years.
LDS Charities has partnered with Anera in Lebanon for the past three years. Werner Gysler, country manager of LDS Charities in Lebanon, welcomed the opportunity to help. “We have been very satisfied working with Anera so when they called us to contribute to the winterization program, we were anxious to help.”
