PROJECT-SUPPORT LEBANON

Aramaic Relief International, Baar, Switzerland

Country / Place

Lebanon, Sin el Fil (suburb of Beirut)

Lebanon is a state in the Near East on the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. In the west it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. The Lebanon Mountains, up to 3’000 meters high, are snow-covered in winter. The country's name is derived from its white peaks. Beirut is the capital, and the economic and cultural centre of the country.

Around 6 million people live in Lebanon, almost half of them in the capital region of Beirut. The population structure has changed significantly since 2011 due to the influx of numerous refugees from the Syrian civil war. The country took in around 1.5 million Syrians, hence refugees make up around a quarter of the resident population. As of 2023, Lebanon has the highest proportion of refugees in the total population of any country in the world.

General

Aramaic Relief International (ARI) is a non-profit relief organisation based in Baar, Switzerland, which provides humanitarian aid in the spirit of active charity for people in need, refugees, war victims, and children. The focus is on development and emergency aid for persecuted and expelled minorities, and for war victims left behind in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, and Uganda.  

Begünstigte

The organisation goes where the need is greatest following war, reaching displaced families who often cannot be reached effectively by international assistance. Aid includes food parcels, medical care, emergency surgery, housing/shelter support, clothing distributions, as well as psychological support and educational projects for children and adults. The association maintains partnerships with regional, national, and international organisations. For the project implementation in the various countries, they co-operate with local partners on the ground.

Projektunterstützung

Project: Warm meals – ARI’s Kitchen

The current humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains worrying. The country is facing serious economic challenges that are affecting people's daily lives. Many people are suffering from unemployment, rising prices and a shortage of goods and services. The people in Lebanon urgently need humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs and improve their living conditions.

For this reason, Aramaic Relief opened a distribution centre in Sin el Fil, a suburb of Beirut, in April 2023. From there, they coordinate and implement various projects.  

In order to meet the growing need and increasing demand, the association has opened its own kitchen in addition to the catering service. From here, 100 people in need are provided with a hot meal every day, five days a week. This initiative is extremely important as it enables even more people to receive direct support.

The centre also serves as a contact point for people who are looking for social contacts and want to be heard. The centre thus offers various job opportunities and supports the local economy.