BEIRUT, Lebanon (August 14, 2006) - CARE began distributing relief supplies in three Beirut suburbs today. The distribution centered around the villages of Mansourieh, Mkhallis and Beit Meri in the mountains just east of Beirut, where internally displaced Lebanese civilians have sought refuge from the fighting in southern Lebanon.

CARE provided aid to the families who are now temporarily living in makeshift shelters, including a large, windowless room under a public parking garage. The room, about 2500 square feet, with only one toilet and no natural light, houses more than 100 people. Another building visited by CARE is an abandoned chocolate factory which now houses more than 100 people. Its windows have no glass. A few electric fans provide slight relief from the stifling heat. The building has only one bathroom for more than a hundred people. Many of the people living in the shelters visited by CARE show signs of intense anxiety. The psychological impact of the massive destruction resulting from the conflict is affecting adults as well as children.

"What we are seeing here is only the tip of the iceberg," says CARE's emergency assessment team leader, Megan Chisholm. "We expect to see more casualties, bad living conditions and victims of this war as soon as we are able to access the whole of Lebanon."

CARE provided the refugees with sets of kitchen and household supplies, children's clothing and hygiene kits, including shampoo and detergent. Each kitchen kit consists of a cooking pot, bowls, knives and forks for a family of up to five. The CARE team also provided a number of portable butane gas stoves, which are particularly important because fuel shortages have made it increasingly difficult to cook hot meals. Household kits included 5-gallon plastic water containers, as well as mops, brooms and detergent for household cleaning.

The supplies were purchased in local markets to provide added support to the local economy. A major concern is that the summer months are normally the time when business is booming, and Lebanese try to earn as much money as possible to carry them through the slower winter months. The economic slowdown means that many heads of households are likely to need economic and livelihood support months from now when the local economy normally slows down considerably.

CARE has worked in the Middle East since 1948, when we opened our first office in Israel. Today, we’re active in the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and now Lebanon, focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children. In Israel, humanitarian needs from the current crisis are already being met, and CARE’s assistance there is unnecessary at this time.

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 BEIRUT, Lebanon (August 4, 2006) - A CARE assessment team has arrived in Beirut and will spend the next week and a half assessing the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and best options for providing emergency relief. Megan Chisholm, leader of the six-person team said: "As soon as we were in Lebanon we saw destroyed houses and buses with people leaving the country. Again, we urge an immediate cease fire and access for humanitarian organizations to reach the most vulnerable people caught in this catastrophe."

Lebanese authorities estimate that at least 841 Lebanese civilians have died in the conflict so far. Estimates are that more than 3,000 have been wounded, and more than 900,000 people have been displaced. Ongoing military operations have made it extremely difficult and dangerous to bring supplies to areas where civilians have gathered after fleeing the combat zones. Food and fuel prices have been rising dramatically because of difficulties in transporting supplies, and several supply convoys have been forced to turn back in recent days either because of the difficulty of getting clearance from military authorities or because of damage to roads.

CARE has called on all sides in the conflict to agree to a cessation of hostilities and to guarantee the protection of innocent civilians, especially women and children. CARE is especially calling on all sides to create humanitarian corridors and guarantee safe passage of badly needed supplies so that civilians who have nothing to do with the fighting can receive food, medicine and safe drinking water.

CARE is one of the world's largest and most experienced nongovernmental humanitarian relief and development organizations. Completely nonsectarian, CARE was formed to bring emergency relief supplies to Europe in the days immediately following World War II. Over the last several decades, CARE's mission has evolved to fighting poverty in the developing world and providing emergency relief during humanitarian crises.

 

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  July 20, 2006 — The escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza has created a humanitarian disaster. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes and many more are without access to basic, life preserving services. The number of civilians killed and injured in all three locations is rising as each day passes.

CARE urges all parties of the conflict to protect the lives of civilians, especially children, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.

CARE urges the international community to ensure humanitarian access in order to mitigate the pain and suffering experienced by those unfortunate enough to be caught in the violence.

CARE calls on the international community to take immediate action to resolve the crisis through peaceful means.

CARE has worked in the region since 1948, beginning in Israel and now in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jordan. In coordination with other humanitarian agencies, CARE is significantly expanding relief operations to accommodate the growing need. 

You can help feed children in impoverished countries.  Donate here.