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Islamic Relief Staff Member Returns from Lebanon

Sabeen Shaiq, Islamic Relief staff member from Buena Park, California, accompanied a shipment of much-needed relief supplies to Lebanon. The shipment, sent in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, departed from Salt Lake City on Friday morning, September 1. While in Lebanon, Shaiq experienced the effects of the crisis first hand.

Click here to read Sabeen's article.

Facts on Lebanon
-Infant mortality rate: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) 
-Life expectancy at birth:   
 total population: 72.88 years
 Male: 70.41 years
 Female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)
-Population below poverty line: 28% (1999 est.) 
-Refugees and internally displaced persons:  
 Refugees (country of origin): 404,170 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
 IDPs: 300,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions) (2005)

Islamic Relief in Lebanon

Islamic Relief has been working in Lebanon since the onset of the recent Middle East Humanitarian Crisis this past July. The crisis disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people; displacing families and destroying livelihoods.

Since the beginning of the current situation, Islamic Relief has served over 200,000 people in Lebanon through our relief programs. Islamic Relief aid workers are rebuilding infrastructure, delivering food and water and supporting child welfare activities to reduce the trauma of war.

Islamic Relief has made an international appeal to raise over $6.4 million for the Middle East humanitarian crisis, which include its efforts in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.

Reconstruction

With the initial emergency response phase having passed, Islamic Relief has shifted it's focus to assisting the people of Lebanon recover what was once lost. Homes and infrastructure specifically need to be rebuilt, and the affected population needs help to prepare for the winter season, and also, to regain their livelihoods.

Islamic Relief's engineers have completed the installation of a municipal water filtration system in Naquora and repaired eight water reservoirs that were damaged during the bombardment of southern Lebanon.

Since the conflict, Islamic Relief has supplied over 2 million liters of drinking water. Water treatment engineers have conducted water safety checks for 30 independent water distributors and Islamic Relief's public health specialist has organized water chlorination and safety training seminars. On a consistent basis, Islamic Relief supplies thousands of liters of drinking water to 50 locations in Nabatiye and Tyre.

In the district of Bint Jbeil which was heavily hit during the war, Islamic Relief aid workers distributed 100 rooftop water containers to all the damaged schools in 32 villages. Within the town itself, Islamic Relief distributed 100 rooftop containers for households in addition to repairing the bomb-damaged Bint Jbeil hospital.

Islamic Relief has replaced a generator which pumps water to over 1,500 people in the village of Hanine in southern Lebanon, and provided a 7 ton generator for Khirbit Silim to power a water pump that serves 15,000 people.

Islamic Relief is restoring water services to 11 villages in southern Tyre with funding from the European Union (ECHO). Islamic Relief provides water pumps, water delivery and fuel for a pumping station. Water pumping stations in two villages have been rehabilitated.

Distributions

To date, Islamic Relief has served over 200,000 people in Lebanon through its relief efforts. Islamic Relief has:

• Provided over 35,000 hot meals to displaced persons during the war.
• Distributed over 25,800 family-size food packages.
• Distributed over 2,600 family-size hygiene kits.
• Distributed 4,000 jerry cans.
• Distributed 50 large (5,000 liter) community water bladders.
• Distributed over 2 million liters of drinking water.
• Provided a 7 ton generator for the municipality of Khirbit Silim to power a water pump, capable of serving 15,000 people.
• Islamic Relief France donated 21 pallets of food, water and baby supplies.

In-kind Partnership for Lebanon with LDS Church, United Nations, and Hariri Foundation

Islamic Relief, in collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shipped two cargo planes of over $2.5 million of in-kind aid to assist the needs of the Lebanese civilian population.

The shipment dispatched included 195 tons of essential aid items such as medical supplies, hygiene kits, powdered milk, baby formula, and hand soap to assist the needs of the civilian population. For the first shipment, aid distribution was overseen by Islamic Relief and the Hariri Foundation, a Lebanese development and education organization.

The second shipment in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided aid items which were donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Lebanon Office in support of their humanitarian efforts in Lebanon

Islamic Relief has partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints many times in the past to provide humanitarian aid to people in need. The two groups have worked hand-in-hand in assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina, the South Asia tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, as well as the most recent shipment of $1.6 million of aid for victims of the Java, Indonesia earthquake.

Lebanese Prime Minister Thanks Islamic Relief for Aid Efforts

Islamic Relief received praise from Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuoad Siniora, for its ongoing aid work in Lebanon.

Islamic Relief was one of only a handful of international aid organizations that continued to deliver aid in south Lebanon during the height of the recent war.

On August 25, 2006, Prime Minister Siniora met with Islamic Relief Worldwide President, Dr. Hany El Banna, at his office in Beirut to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Dr. El Banna briefed the Lebanese premier on Islamic Relief's emergency aid distributions in the country and the charity's ongoing commitment to help the people of Lebanon.
 
Prime Minister Siniora told Dr. El Banna, "We appreciate your initiatives and your efforts to help those that are suffering from this war."