Emergency Appeal
Lebanon – Appeal 2/2007

1 8 June 2007

Appeal Target: US$ 1,000,000

Support Palestinian Refugees of Nahr Al Bared

                   

Welfare Association is launching a one million US Dollars Appeal to assist in the immediate relief of the population of Nahr Al Bared Refugee Camp, and at a later stage, to address the huge recovery needs of this population, once they are able to return to their homes.

For more than 3 weeks, the 30,000 Palestinian inhabitants of Nahr Al Bared Refugee Camp in the North of Lebanon have been gravely suffering as a result of the heavy fighting between the Lebanese Army and Fath Al Islam military group. The weeks of siege, heavy shelling, and street-to-street fights have forced most residents to flee to other Palestinian refugee camps as well as to surrounding Lebanese towns. Al Baddawi Refugee Camp received until now over 15,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), doubling its population overnight and straining its scant resources. The refugees remaining in Nahr Al Bared who were not able to flee are gravely suffering.

WA reacted immediately following the outbreak of the crisis and has until now spent over 120,000 US Dollars on the following:

1. Water and Sanitation, WA purchased and delivered to UNRWA by June 04:
1. 27 used movable toilets. Installation of some of these took place in Tripoli schools. The rest have been stored awaiting the Al Bared recovery process and in case of new needs.
2. Two new sanitary units each consisting of 6 WCs, 3 urinals and 1 sink. One unit has been installed in Baddawi UNRWA School playground and another is being installed in Tripoli IDP center.
3. Two new shower units consisting each of 6 shower heads, 4 sinks and 1 boiler. These items have been installed in the Baddawi UNRWA school compound.
4. 6 used shower shelters consisting of 8 shower heads, 4 sinks, one boiler

 

2. Clothing: The following items have been purchased and delivered to fill gaps uncovered by other humanitarian agencies and NGOs:
1. Various underwear items for men, women, girls and boys for 489 displaced families in Baddawi camp and in the Sidon area.
2. Two thousand pairs of shoes for children of different ages distributed to 486 displaced families again in Baddawi and in the Sidon area.

3. Medicine has been purchased or secured for chronic disease and mental patients, and is being distributed through Health Care society and member NGOs after ensuring physician diagnosis of illnesses.  This is due to the fact that most patients left Al Bared without taking their prescriptions with them (among other vital documents including IDs)

 Psychosocial Support: In addition to the above, Welfare Association brought some much needed fun and laughter to the lives of children forced with their families to flee from homes in Nahr el Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp (For more details, Click Here)

As the crisis enters into its fourth week, with no immediate solution in sight, Welfare Association will continue to assist the beleaguered population of Al Bared camp, in partnership with UNRWA and the NGOs. 

In addition to continuing its intervention in water and sanitation, clothing and medicine to assist the displaced, Welfare Association will work on the following:

1. Provide displaced disabled persons in IDP centers and private homes with disability aids, such as wheelchairs, crutches, beds, sheets, pillows and medicine
2. Support host families in Baddawi and other camps, numbering at least 1,000, with food, cleaning materials and other needs as they emerge
3.  Support University and VT students stranded in Beirut, Sibline, and other regions with little means of subsistence and limited mobility due to rising incidences of detention.
4. Support psychosocial interventions with traumatized adults and children, health education in highly congested displaced centers, as well as recreational and educational activities for children and youth.
5. Provide emergency funds for the purpose of restoring business facilities, refurbishing equipment and raw material, and provision of small working capital for vital operational costs.

In coordination with international and local organizations, Welfare Association will also address the huge recovery needs of the population of Al Bared camp, once they are able to return to their homes.  80% of the camp has been destroyed, including almost all NGO and UNRWA centers.  Welfare Association will assist its NGO partners to resume their educational, health and development services as quickly as possible, through temporary facilities in the interim phase, and center reconstruction in the long term.  Welfare Association will also give particular attention to the accessibility needs of the disabled in their homes, in public spaces and in educational institutions.

For Donations:

Welfare Association                               Welfare Association
Arab Bank - Shmisani Branch                Arab Bank-Geneva Switzerland
Amman - Jordan                                     SWIFT code: ARBSCHZZGVA
Account No.:0118 - 9917 - 501 J.D.    Account No.:102252000104 $US
Account No.:0118 - 9917 - 511 $US    IBAN: CH 30 8719 7225 2000 04333

REf: Lebanon- Nahr el Bared Appeal

For more information please contact: Resource Dev., Communication & Media