The Zakat Foundation of America

Lebanon

Despite its place as one of the relatively wealthy countries in the Middle East, official estimates place the number of people living in extreme poverty in Lebanon at around 8 percent. These are people who do not have the means to buy food and other basic necessities.

The July of 2006 war on Lebanon resulted in severe damage to private and public infrastructure, and was a major setback to the economy. The war displaced one-fourth of Lebanon's population and either destroyed or partially damaged the houses of half of a million people.

Lebanon is also home to 400,000 officially registered Palestinian refugees who make up approximately 10 percent of the population. Half of the 400,000 Palestinian refugees living  in Lebanon are regulated to  U.N.-administered refugee camps that are located in tightly packed areas. Furthermore, Palestinian refugees live lives wracked by poverty, as well as a lack of independence and access to state education and health care

Aid to Lebanon

In the summer of 2006, a humanitarian crisis exploded in Lebanon as the country was gripped in armed conflict. The United Nations warned heavily of a humanitarian crisis in the early days of the fighting and before all was said and done nearly 1 million people became displaced and several thousand had been killed in the crossfire. continue reading »