Ahlam's Facebook page

We are two Irish friends who met in Beirut - Enda from Galway and AnnaSophia from Belfast - and we have been living and working there forthe last decade. It is heartbreaking to see what is happening to the city and to its people.

We are raising money to support the emergency assistance work of a small Palestinian NGO based out of one of the Palestinian camps in Beirut. AnnaSophia is close friends with the NGO's leadership team since 2017, and has worked with them before on various projects.

If you would like to help provide nutritious meals to vulnerable Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian people either living in and around two Palestinian camps in the southern suburbs of Beirut, or displaced to the camps from somewhere else in Lebanon, here are the details.

The NGO is called Ahlam Lajea, which is Arabic for 'Dreams of a Refugee'.We meet regularly with the treasurer of the organisation, who was a resident in one of the camps until he and his family were recently displaced. He does, however, return to Shatila camp to work with the organisation every day, despite great challenges.

All funds raised will be given directly to the organisation in regular tranches to ensure it can continue to deliver food and basic assistance to those in need.

Why Ahlam Lajea NGO needs your help

The situation in Lebanon has worsened drastically. Recent conflict has caused mass displacement, forcing thousands of families—including from refugee camps in southern Lebanon—to flee to Beirut. Shatila camp, where Ahlam Lajea is based, is overwhelmed by new arrivals (around 250 families = 1250 + people) , and the most vulnerable families are in urgent need of assistance.

We re raising emergency funds to provide basic necessities for these and other vulnerable families living in and around Shatila camp - this includes Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians, as well as members of the migrant worker community if they are in the area (e.g. people from Ethiopia).

Here's how your donation can make a real impact

$100 supplies enough dry goods to last a family an entire month.
$300 can stock a daily public kitchen that will serve up to 1000 hot meals per day, with Ahlam Lajea's volunteers and kitchen ready to prepare and distribute them.

Your generosity can provide immediate relief and help sustain families through this crisis. Every dollar counts in supporting those who need it most! You can donate on this page, and I will transfer the money to the NGO's treasurer in Beirut.

As the situation evolves, additional needs may arise, such as medical care or hygiene supplies. We'll keep this page updated with how your donations are helping.

Background Information

Ahlam Lajea (meaning 'Refugee Dreams') is a grassroots NGO founded by young Palestinians in the Shatila camp in 2011. Officially registered with the Lebanese Ministry of Interior as an NGO, Ahlam Lajea has carried out projects funded by international donors, including from the UK, and has helped over 10,000 Palestinians and Lebanese individuals.

Over the years, their work has included :

Education services for children in Shatila camp (in Beirut suburbs)
Gender-based violence prevention initiatives
Cultural and sporting activities
Solid waste management projects, that provide work for Palestinians in the camps and Lebanese in the neighbourhood
Supporting the Palestinian Civil Defense (equivalent of the fire brigade or paramedics, often the only first-responder service available to camp residents)

They also provide emergency relief, like after the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, when they delivered aid to those in desperate need.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), between 250,000 and 400,000 Palestinian refugees are currently living in Lebanon. The first refugees arrived in 1948, with more waves following over the decades. This includes approximately 30,000 Palestinians who fled Syria more recently, during the ongoing civil war.

Today, around half of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in overcrowded, deteriorating conditions in 12 refugee camps originally set up in the late 1940s for short-term use. After more than 70 years, these families remain refugees, as Lebanon has not granted them citizenship or equal rights.This includes comprehensive labour rights, severely limiting their ability to build better futures. According to a 2022 UNRWA survey, 93% of Palestinians in Lebanon live in poverty.

Today's conflict crisis only adds to an already very difficult situation for many vulnerable people in Lebanon today.

Support a Palestinian NGO - Beirut - Emergency Food

Enda Nevin

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