LAMIS NASSER ABU ASAF

Beirut- Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon that started on October 8, 2023, on September 23, 2024, killing more than 2,000 people, injuring more than 10,000 and displacing thousands.

Most displaced people have taken shelters in Beirut, capital of Lebanon. It is possible to see thousands of displaced people sitting on the pavement or under trees at the Martyrs' Square and in Clemenceau Street. NGOs and volunteers make great efforts to help the displaced people.

Call for support and donations

Cynthia Mehdi, one of the volunteers, distributes meals to the displaced people at the Martyrs’ Square. “We face difficulties in providing meals to the displaced people due to high food prices and the lack of food,” she said, calling on people and volunteers to support the displaced people and make donations for them. “I am an university student and now do my best to help the displaced people because universities in Lebanon have been temporarily closed due to the war. But we will continue our education online soon. Working as a volunteer is a full time job. We call on everyone to be volunteers in order to be in solidarity with the displaced.”

‘We are concerned about the safety of volunteers’

Zeina Shams El-Din, an employee of one of the NGOs, documents information about the displaced people, visits the displaced people with her colleagues to learn their needs. “The NGOs distribute blankets and meals to the displaced people. However, we are concerned about the safety of volunteers due to the ongoing attacks,” she told NuJINHA.

‘A joint international effort is needed to meet the needs of the displaced people’

“We especially take care of the needs of displaced women,” said Nina Al-Bunni, another volunteer. “Since the Beirut port explosion, we are the ones working on the ground to help those affected, not the state. A joint international effort is needed to meet the needs of the displaced people.”