Help Beirut's poor, families in the margins

Lebanon’s poor need your help. Due to the country’s widening financial crisis, the devaluation of the Lebanese pound, and the impact of COVID-19, the price of food and medicines have skyrocketed. A recent UNICEF report found that 77% of households in Lebanon are no longer able to buy enough food to feed their families. Those earning minimum wage might have to pay as much as 10% of their monthly salary to buy a carton of milk.

This campaign aims to provide food packages and medicines for families living in impoverished areas surrounding the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut. “Informal gatherings” such as Sabra, the Gaza building, al-Dawouq, and Said Ghawash are inhabited by a number of vulnerable populations, such as Syrian and Palestinian refugees, urban poor Lebanese and other nationalities. Found in the margins between the city and the official refugee camp, these spaces are characterized by overcrowding, abject poverty, and unhealthy living conditions, and their inhabitants rarely benefit from the presence of any established humanitarian relief programs. The need for assistance is dire.

The campaign aims to distribute food packages to 300 families living in the aforementioned areas. These will contain vegetables, cheese, eggs, milk, some meats, household items such as wheat, sugar, and cooking oil, alongside other products. Fluctuating conversion rates make the costs difficult to predict, but we expect the food baskets will cost approximately 1150.000 Lebanese Pounds each, give or take 10%. At the time of writing, this translates to roughly 61 USD on the informal currency market, which is the only one functioning in Lebanon. Depending on their needs, families with small children will receive additional products such as diapers, nutritional supplements, and basic medicines.

Your donation will not put an end to Lebanon’s financial crisis. However, it will mean a world of difference for families striving to scrape by in a marginalized part of Beirut, at a time when the country is slowly slipping into famine.

The handouts will be organized by Palestinian and Lebanese youth from the area who are affiliated with a local Non-governmental organization calling itself From People to People for Relief and Development (FPPRD). These will handle the logistics of selecting target families, and all proceeds will go directly to the beneficiaries. FPPRD is a voluntary initiative, and you can follow its activities on Instagram and Facebook:

https://www.instagram.com/fpprd/

https://www.facebook.com/Fppcamp/

Should the campaign exceed its stated target, the surplus will be used to cover tuition fees for schoolchildren, and to cover the costs of the local Jenin Sports Club. I am personally not a member of said organization, and will not take part in the handouts. I am merely helping out, because people in Lebanon are not able to launch campaigns through Go Fund Me. For further inquiries, please contact the organization directly: [email redacted]

Take note: The donations are listed as Norwegian Kroner (NOK) due to my location. 100 NOK equal about 11 USD, but please consult a currency exchange site for more details. I will wire the proceeds to said organizers in Lebanon, and I will not accept any responsibility for any potential losses incurred due to unpredictable conversion rates.