Amid the escalating war in Lebanon, Alfanar continues to stand firmly beside our staff and social enterprises in the country, as well as their families and communities.

The current conflict has left over a million people displaced, homes destroyed, and livelihoods lost. The Lebanese government has estimated that it will need more than $400 million dollars to be able to adequately assist in recovery efforts over the next six months alone.

As we navigate this challenging time, we are committed to our portfolio of social enterprises in the country. As such, we will be stepping up support to current and alumni social enterprises currently offering essential services to the most affected communities.

These include:

• Ruwad el Tanmiya: providing food, shelter and engaging volunteers in Tripoli
• Ahla Fawda: preparing warm meals across Lebanon
• Shareq: preparing vacuum sealed meals in Mount Lebanon
• D4C (Design for Communities): sharing design guidelines for collective shelters (partitions, kitchens, hygiene measures, food, heating/cooling); aiming to work with unemployed architects and engineers to support shelters and schools in their respective areas
• The Volunteer Circle: training volunteers and linking them to other NGOs to support on the ground
• FabricAID: distributing clothes to internally displaced people
• Tabshoura: providing online learning to students across Lebanon

These social enterprises have gone through our training and due diligence processes and as such, have strong business models and are well-positioned to respond to pressing needs. In addition to funding, we will be providing them with training on crisis finance management, organizational restructuring and security protocols to sustain their impact in the next months.

“Amid the unbelievable tragedy we are facing, social enterprises play a vital role in supporting the most disadvantaged communities and remain a stabilizing force in the current environment. We are committed to supporting their relief efforts, but also are working to build their capabilities for impact beyond the current crisis” said Alfanar Lebanon Director Maya Rahal.