In the summer of 2006, a humanitarian crisis exploded in Lebanon as the country was gripped in armed conflict. The United Nations warned heavily of a humanitarian crisis in the early days of the fighting and before all was said and done nearly 1 million people became displaced and several thousand had been killed in the crossfire.

UNICEF’s representative in Beirut, Roberto Laurenti, said “The situation is extreme. We are concerned about their (the Lebanese civilians) conditions, especially because of electricity cuts, lack of water, lack of food and medical supplies and sanitary conditions which could lead to illness." Many routes of escape from the conflict were cut off as airports, ocean ports, bridges and main highways were devastated early on.

Floods of displaced families took refuge in schools, mosques and churches. Within the first week of the conflict, shelters have been filled across the 77 public schools in Beirut, 160 in Mount Lebanon, 25 in the north, 42 in the south and 13 in the Beka’a. For many families at these shelters, there is little to no access for food and basic necessities except what locals happen to bring.

What is more troubling is that the United Nations evacuated all non-essential staff from the country for fear of their own safety. As a result, relief services were been cut off to 260,000 Palestinian refugees who depend on them for aid in Lebanon.

Zakat Foundation Response to the Need

Since The Zakat Foundation of America had established a branch in the Mount Lebanon area since May of 2005, we had staff and volunteers on the ground delivering urgently needed food aid, clean drinking water, blankets, mattresses and basic medical aid. Naturally, our main area of operation was in Mount Lebanon at these public schools that had become shelters for displaced families from Beirut and further south.

We launched a major relief appeal to assist as many families as possible at these shelters for the immediate and urgent efforts to provide food, water, medical care and basic necessities as well as long-term relief efforts to those affected victims in Lebanon.

Our clinic in Lebanon went into full service mode and provided comprehensive medical service for the refugees. Many specialized physicians were on hand and were able to care for an average of 100 people per day. This care of refugees was on top of the clinic’s ongoing efforts to provide care for the local needy people of the Ikleem Al-Kharoob area.

Our office manager raced back and forth bringing supplies from nearby countries and even as fuel became scarce our teams resorted to walking or making deliveries on bicycles in order to deliver all the aid possible. By the close of the conflict, we had provided the victims in Lebanon with thousands of mattresses and blankets and had distributed enough food for nearly 40,000 people.

Mohamed Nimmer Habanjar, the President of the Union of Municipalities in Iqlim Al-Kharoub wrote to us, “We thank your generous Foundation that had offered us a hand of help and relief to the refugees, that were been forced to Immigrate during the war on Lebanon from the south of the country and from the Suburb of Beirut, and we also thank the Manager of your Foundation, Shiekh Ghaleeb Shehadi, who was able to offer a hand for helping the refugees in more than fourteen villages of Iqlim Al-Kharoub in Mount of Lebanon Area.”

In the words of our office manager in Lebanon, “What we have seen during our visits to the effected areas in Lebanon is beyond comprehension. We have seen total destruction and devastation that affected everyone; young and elderly, men and women. Everywhere we went we witnessed the same story of children crying and displaced families lacking the very basics to survive.”

Ghaleb continued saying, “By the grace of Allah (SWT), our relief operation during this period has been very successful. Zakat Foundation was present amongst 150,000 refugees in the area of Ikleem Al-Kharoob… in most villages we were the only humanitarian organization providing for those refugees.”

The struggle continues in Lebanon for many whose homes are completely destroyed. Thousands of people remain homeless and desperately in need of care. Please reach out to those who have lost everything and help us to provide materials to let them rebuild their lives after such devastation.

Contribute to our Clinic in Lebanon.

Sponsor an orphan in Lebanon, both Lebanese and Palestinian refugee children need support.

Establish a school, Mosque or Well as Sadaqa Jariya