PRESS RELEASE
With the escalation of the war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, a new humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding, with a presumed 1.2 million people displaced. DanChurchAid has distributed over 30,000 meals so far to displaced people across 35 schools housing displaced people, including our own staf.
“Our work in Lebanon has now pivoted to emergency relief—blankets, water, hot and cold meals. Since the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, we have been clearing the country of mines and unexploded ordnance. Now, the humanitarian needs are rising rapidly, and the mine clearance has come to a standstill,” says Jonas Nøddekær, Secretary-General of DanChurchAid and he continues:
“Most of our staff, including our 60 deminers, have been displaced from the southern part of the country, where many of them live. We support them as best we can – and they still show up and help pack and transport aid to the more than one million displaced people.”
DanChurchAid’s efforts are concentrated in the capital, Beirut, and the Saida district further south. The efforts are directed at both Lebanese citizens, Palestinian refugees who have lived in the country for decades, and Syrians who have fled to Lebanon due to the civil war in Syria. The funding for the emergency aid comes from the Lebanese Humanitarian Fund, Augustinus Foundation, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, various ACT Alliance partners – like Church of Sweden – and funds raised in Denmark from private donors.
“We are helping everyone in need, as far as our resources can stretch. But it is a new nightmare unfolding in the Middle East and across Lebanon – a country that was already on the brink of a economic collapse and has effectively not been a functioning state for years,” says Jonas Nøddekær, adding:
“The severity of the situation and the desperation among civilians is highlighted by the fact that many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are now returning to Syria. Compared to the rest of the region, President Assad’s Syria now appears as a more stable place to flee to. It’s shocking,” concludes Jonas Nøddekær.
The Secretary-General looks forward to the day when peace returns to the region. DanChurchAid stands ready to resume work on clearing cities, towns, and the Lebanese country side of mines and unexploded ordnance – and help people return in a safe manner, so they can rebuild their lives and communities.
Contact
Poul Kjar
Head of Press
pkja@dca.dk
+45 4186 5975
Otto Lykketoft
Press Advisor
otly@dca.dk
+45 2870 5780
