Airlifting Aid to Lebanon

An AmeriCares airlift has arrived in Beirut bringing more than 15 tons of essential medicines and relief supplies to help ease the critical humanitarian situation.

The airlift carried medicines, medical and disaster relief supplies including antibiotics, analgesics, and other aid valued at $2 million.  An AmeriCares emergency response team accompanied the flight. 

“Through this airlift, AmeriCares is fulfilling a vital role by providing essential medicines to people who are at risk as this crisis continues,” said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares.

AmeriCares is partnering with the nonprofit humanitarian agency American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) which will distribute these life-saving medical treatments and supplies to a network of major hospitals and health clinics.  Nearly one million Lebanese were displaced during the course of the conflict, but hundreds of thousands have begun returning home.  This influx could further strain the health care system, which was largely cut off from receiving medical supplies over the past month.  The AmeriCares donations will help address the health needs of those returning to southern Lebanon.

AmeriCares has been working in the Middle East for more than two decades and during its history, has responded to humanitarian needs in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, Jordan and Israel.  Currently, AmeriCares supports ANERA with regular deliveries of medicines throughout the year; the July shipment arrived shortly before the port was closed and that aid was distributed during the early days of the violence.  To make a contribution to support these efforts, click here.