Strengthening the resilience and health of vulnerable populations in Lebanon

In addition to the long-standing refugee crisis, Lebanon has been facing a dramatic economic and socio-political state crisis since 2019, which has led to high unemployment, rising (food) prices and an official 90% devaluation of the national currency. 80% of Lebanon's population lives in poverty and the ongoing financial crisis makes access to health services difficult. As competition for scarce resources and limited infrastructure, such as access to social services, health facilities and employment, intensifies, tensions between Syrian refugees, migrant workers and impoverished Lebanese repeatedly arise. Due to the difficult conditions to make ends meet, many people living in Lebanon feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.

Our aim is to strengthen health structures and networks as well as food security and social cohesion at the national level. This way the long-term resilience of the populations affected by the multiple crises in Lebanon will be strengthened. In cooperation with our local partner, Order of Malta Lebanon, we aim to rebuild basic medical and social infrastructure. Existing supply gaps in the acute crisis are to be closed and the national health system, the availability of food and local agriculture are to be enhanced in the long term

Health care

• Renovation, additional equipment and operation of a total of 11 primary health centres with locations throughout Lebanon
• Strengthening the structural and organisational capacities of our partner, especially in the field of psychosocial health
• Providing mental health services in the health facilities run by the Order of Malta Lebanon
• Additional provision of medical services in the field of physiotherapy in the health centres operated by the Order of Malta Lebanon and in partner health centres.
• To provide home care services through nurses and doctors in health centres run by the Order of Malta Lebanon
• Conducting awareness campaigns, for example, to prevent stigma and potential shame around mental illness and other health conditions, or to prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as covid-19 or cholera.

Agriculture/ nutrition

• Cultivation and distribution of seedlings to farmers and provision of machinery for soil preparation and irrigation in seven agricultural project locations, the so-called Service Provision Units (SPUs).
• Providing technical advice to farmers on the cultivation of local agricultural crops.
• Implementation of awareness-raising measures in the field of health-promoting nutrition
• Carrying out value chain assessments to identify potential additional income-generating agricultural products in the individual regions
• Establishment of nutrition groups in which community members are actively involved in the further development of food security in their communities
• Operation of two mobile community kitchens to distribute hot meals to people who are currently particularly affected by the crisis.