Lebanon Emergency Relief
November 2024-ongoing; Beirut and Tripoli
Lebanon is facing horrors of war, and a displacement of people, on a scale not seen in 20 years. As we have been doing in Gaza for the past 9 months, AMF is also now supporting Lebanese relief efforts on the ground. Our approach to emergency response means that we work only with verified, reputable, organisations, and when donated funds have clear purpose and can be properly tracked. As such we have joined with longstanding local partners to target efforts to where we know they can do the most immediate good, and best serve the children and young people who are always the most severely affected when disaster strikes. These colleagues know their communities and have proven themselves through their previous work with the Foundation, meaning that the journey from inception to launch of an emergency response can be accomplished quickly and without compromising our high standards of oversight.
At present, we are targeting some of the most pressing needs on the ground:
Sponsoring displaced children to continue their education- Lebanese state schools currently remain closed and will have limited capacity to take on new pupils when they reopen. Our supported private schools in Beirut have opened their doors to hundreds of displaced students who have fled their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs. So that they can regain some sense of normalcy in a safe space, we are providing essential supplies such as uniforms, books, and food as well as helping to offset the cost of their tuition fees.
Supporting schools that are also acting as shelters- Schools are housing thousands of displaced families and providing food, heat, and supplies despite their own depleted reserves. We have committed to covering these costs while more permanent housing for IDPs is found, and to ensure that they have the funds to repair any damage and continue educating their students in person in their classrooms.
Helping vulnerable displaced people- As we head towards winter, vulnerable children are at an increased risk of severe illness and death due to a lack of warm clothing and appropriate medical care. We are joining with a trusted partner in Northern Lebanon to provide essential winter supplies, medication, and emotional support to children who have been forced to flee their homes and find shelter in often unsuitable conditions.