Latest news
As of 25 of September the IOM counts more than 211.000 displaced persons. The number is now, 30th op september, much higher as many people fled the regions in the South thought to be safe before the present bombing campaign of Israel. You can download the IOM report here.
The annual report 2023 of ALPHA has been published. Read here about their activities in different areas of Lebanon.
October 2023: ALPHA is preparing now that people are fleeing the South of Lebanon.
According to IOM, the total internally displaced individuals in Lebanon have reached 19,646 IDPs on October 21st, 2023.
(see the website of IOM for the most actual data).
The appeal of ALPHA:
True to its social responsibility in time of crises, ALPHA is planning a preventive emergency action and is aiming to raise an emergency fund of USD 150,000.
We are thankful to Action Solidarité pour le Développement Humain (ASODH) which has already contributed Euros 2,500 to this fund.
This fund will allow us to be ready in the event of massive displacement of Lebanese , Syrian, and Palestinian IDPs towards Burj-Hammoud, Nabaa and sinn el fil- eastern suburb of Beirut- a likely
destination to IDPs from all origins, and an area where we operate since 2003. As per our experience in previous similar disasters, the first action to be taken is to provide families with
mattresses, blankets, food baskets, hygiene kits and drinking water, as well as to provide PSS sessions for children and caregivers.
In the event of a massive displacement to these areas, we are aiming to store in the basement of Our Lady of the River Church- Burj-Hammoud, enough mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits, food
baskets and drinking water to serve 300 families- 70/75% Internally displaced families and 30/25% host communities- for 2 months, as first step.
Therefore, we would like to purchase as soon as possible and store the needed emergency relief items before these items start to go missing from the market or their prices become unaffordable; as
in all crises, prices of basic commodities started increasing tremendously.
However, if the displacement don’t take place in the areas where we operate, ALPHA will decide with you about the use of the stored items.
With the hope for an immediate stopping of the atrocities suffered by populations already in precariousness,
Sincerely yours,
Albert Abi Azar
President of ALPHA
Read in the annual report of ALPHA over 2022 for example over the agri-youth project, narratives of volunteers or the
public schools improvemenets in the South of Lebanon.
APPEAL OF ALPHA , february 2022
On top of all crises, Lebanon is confronting a very harsh winter this year. The mountains and the Beqaa Valley are covered with snow. Weather forecasts predicts low temperatures for the next 20 days, despite sunny days in February. ALPHA is calling its partners and friends for heating cash assistance to 250 families, which constitute the families of 350 children attending Damma school, located in Gazze village in the Beqaa valley. (a project supported by Kinder Not Hilfe Luxembourg).
Due to the economic crisis and the high cost of mazut, (heavy oil used for heating), these 250 families, mostly living in apartments, are struggling to keep their children warm . The few among them who live in the refugee camp, next to Damma school, are also struggling to keep their tents in good conditions.
According to an assessment made by the Damma team , each family is in need of 127,5 USD for the coming 15 days to be able to heat their living place.
Total of required amount for 15 days cash assistance for heating: 250x127,5= 31.875 USD.
Four other families live in the refugee camp beside the Damma school.
Their tents are damaged, two families need a new tent, and two families need assistance to repair their tents.
Total required amount for the four tents: 1000 USD
Total required amount, heating + tents: 41.875 USD
Please help these families by donating! Mention Damma school in the description and we will make sure the donations will arrive to these families.
The first 172 houses are repaired!
The huge blast in the port of Beirut made life more miserable in Lebanon, if at all possible. We support the appeal of Alpha to help those in need. Read
more
photo's of the repairs Alpha is doing in Bourj Hammoud, a poor area near the port.
Profile of the families
- 82% of the 300 family’s which ALPHA support in Bourj-Hammoud are Lebanese families, 18% are Syrian or Iraqi refugees’ families.
- 66% live in rented flats.
- 70% of the heads of households are currently unemployed, the 30% employed ones are receiving less than 150 euros per month.
- Women head of households represent 31%.
- 58% of these 300 families have more than 3 children.
- 13% of them had a member injured due the blast, while only 27% of them have a medical coverage.
- These families still live in their houses but because of the financial crisis they have no or very little means to cover reparation costs for broken windows and doors.
additional help
Besides helping families with the repairs, Alpha also distributed 100 food baskets (with supplies for a month) and helped some of the families by providing medication for chronically ill family members.
The huge blast in the port of Beirut made life more miserable in Lebanon, if at all possible. We support the appeal of ALPHA to help those in need.
To read in detail their proposal for repairs of the homes of 300 families: proposal
And here you find the appeal video Alpha made (if you want to see it fullscreen, click here)
Th explosion in the port comes on top of the Covid-19 crisis and the financial crisis in Lebanon, making life for everybody very difficult.
2017 : Local agreements in Syria: These days a new phase seems to have started in Syria, with local reconciliation agreements, and transfer of people from one region to another. However a study with input of members of local humanitarian organizations working in Syria shows that it is a "non-starter for peacebuilding" . The study is published by the European University Institute and written by Fadi Adleh and Agnes Favier.
The local agreements are described by the Syrian regime and its allies as 'local reconciliation agreements', but the Syrian opposition talks about 'forced surrender or capitulation'. Although the bombing and fighting in these areas stopped for now, there is no reconciliation. Three main grievances are not dealt with and can easily be the cause of a new round of fighting: the forced military conscription in the Syrian army, the unknown fate of thousands of missing and imprisoned people, and also property ownership and rehabilitation with regard to the people who had to leave their area. Read the whole study, download it here.
Syria Campaign... The Syria Campaign is a platform for different advocacy actions and lots of information and stories about what is going on in Syria itself, and what is happening to the millions who had to flee.
From their website: "The Syria Campaign is a global advocacy group launched in 2014 with the mission to mobilize people around the world to advocate to protect Syrian civilians and accelerate progress towards a peaceful and democratic future for Syria." Join them and spread their info!
One of the campaigns is called:
Planet Syria to Planet Earth: is anybody out there?
There are also campaigns focusing on medical staff, informing the European parliament etc.
(Part of) the picture introducing the Planet Syria to Planet Earth campaign
September 2016: Nearly 18000 prisoners died in Syria
Amnesty International published report about prisoners in Syria. Nearly 18,000 prisoners have died since the beginning of the uprising in 2011. They interviewed prisoners and highlight the systematic torture. Download the full report from the website of Amnesty here.
August 2016: Help Aleppo
These days we are all looking with horror to the tragedy unfolding in Aleppo. After a siege of years the fighting parties now seem to have started the final battle for Aleppo. There are more than 2 million people living in the Aleppo area, and all are affected by the fighting and lack of supplies. An estimated 400,000 inhabitants in East Aleppo not only suffer from lack of water, food and other first necessities, but are also bombed without cessation. Join activities in your country, city, village to protest against the bombing of Aleppo, and demand an end to all fighting: a political solution is the only way out of this nightmare.
July 2016: 7000 euro transferred to ALPHA
Thanks to donations from France and the Netherlands we were able to send 7000 euro's to ALPHA. ALPHA will use the funds to support different children projects (education, care) they are running.
May 2016: The annual report of Alpha is published!
Alpha recently published their annual report 2015. You can download the report here.
stories of daily life in Syria...
Check them out on facebook . They show how people survive and take care of each other in Syria.
31st of March - cessation of hostilities?
On the 27th of February the International Syria support group, led by the US and Russia agreed upon a cessation of hostilities. Some areas as well as IS and al Nusra group were excluded, and bombardments and fighting continue in these areas. But last month saw the fewest number of civilian deaths since the start of the war. However, although humanitarian aid has reached some besieged and hard-to-reach areas, it is still very difficult to reach these areas and many people do not have access to aid.
28th of March - SyriaUntold: when you want to read more about what is happening in civil society in Syria, check this
website. They write: "Syria Untold is an independent digital media project (...). We are a team of Syrian writers, journalists, programmers and designers living in the country and
abroad trying to highlight the narrative of the Syrian revolution, which Syrian men and women are writing day by day. Through grass-roots campaigns, emerging forms of self-management and
self-government and endless manifestations of citizen creativity, a new outspoken Syria has emerged, after decades of repression and paralysis" Read more..
15th of January -brochure 'Friends of Alpha'
Our English language brochure 'friends of Alpha' is published.
Links
Human Rights Watch:
5 steps for Europe to save lives and protect people. Read more..
IRIN writes from the front lines of conflict and aims "to inspire and produce a more effective humanitarian response". They often have news about Syria, Lebanon, Palestine. Read more...