The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East has forced 700,000 people from their homes in Lebanon to seek shelter in Beirut and other parts of the country, with a further 150,000 having fled into neighboring countries, according to estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These numbers are expected to rise.

As armed hostilities between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon rage unabated, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) staff and volunteers in Beirut are providing emergency food, bedding, shelter, and basic necessities for displaced families.

ADRA is in daily coordination with the United Nations and other international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and is establishing a much broader emergency feeding program that will impact thousands of displaced people in Beirut over the coming months.

"ADRA's emergency relief operation in Lebanon is growing," says Charles Sandefur, president, ADRA International. "We are in Lebanon for the long-haul, and I expect that ADRA’s work will impact on many thousands of displaced families in the coming months."

The relief agency will provide care packages for displaced families sheltering with relatives, and other people, that contain a three-month supply of supplementary food aid. The care packages will provide 50 percent of the daily energy requirements for the families, with the other 50 percent coming from the host families. As food shortages worsen, it’s vital to provide host families with sufficient assistance to aid displaced people.

Dr Kjell Aune, ADRA board chair in the Middle East, says, "We want to do our part in caring for the displaced people in Lebanon. A considerable number has taken refuge in a church school in West Beirut, and we want to help these and others with life essentials. It is with thankfulness we notice the response from around the world to our appeal for help. We will try to get to the job speedily and do it faithfully. So far, our people on the ground have shown an amazing willingness and dedication, and together with the incoming ADRA personnel and resources, I am confident we will make a difference to the war-stricken people of Lebanon. Thanks to all who contribute in this crisis."

Hygiene packs, each containing a mixture of dental health products, soap, shampoo, combs, sanitary pads, nappies and baby creams will be distributed by ADRA to thousands of displaced families in and around Beirut. The hygiene packs will positively impact the health of women and children, helping to prevent disease.

Along with ADRA’s response in Lebanon, Raafat Kamal, ADRA’s director for the troubled region, is closely monitoring the humanitarian needs inside Israel, and the agency is ready and willing to respond there should the opportunity arise.