World Vision Singapore Launches Public Fundraising Appeal for Lebanon to Support those Displaced by the Escalating Crisis
10 October 2024 - World Vision Singapore has launched a public fundraising appeal today, pledging S$150,000 to support the most urgent needs of children and families impacted by the escalating conflict in Lebanon.
With the crisis spreading from South Lebanon to Beirut, Bekaa, and beyond, 1.7 million children living in Lebanon face death, injury, and forced displacement. Schools are closed and are being repurposed into temporary collective shelters for internally displaced people. More than 2,000 people have been killed, including children and women. Over 6,000 have been injured and well over a million people have been displaced. Some children have been without food for over 24 hours, pregnant women have been sleeping on floors without a blanket in the cold weather, and nursing mothers are so famished that they are unable to produce milk for their babies.
Civilian casualties, mass displacement, and the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure have reached unprecedented levels, creating a significant spike in humanitarian needs and straining already limited resources in Lebanon, which was struggling from a severe economic crisis that was exacerbated by Covid-19 and the massive Beirut port explosion in 2020. Many families have already lost everything. The surge in the internally displaced population would mean an increased urgent need for water, food, shelter, and medical supplies.
World Vision calls for the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon so that children and civilians can rebuild their lives.
“The situation is taking a heavy toll, especially on children. Many are deeply distressed about the violence and the impact of the conflict on their families, education, and future. The children are terrified and will pay the highest price of suffering from trauma and severely affected physical and mental well-being. Some have also suffered life-changing injuries. Schools are closed, and education is being disrupted for what will likely be an extended period. World Vision is on the ground and has been responding to the humanitarian needs in Lebanon since the escalation of the conflict in September. We have provided life-saving assistance to over 34,000 internally displaced people, including food and water, mattresses, and hygiene kits,” said Benjamin Tan, CEO of World Vision Singapore. “There is a lot more we need to do.”
World Vision has been working in Lebanon for over 45 years and will be adapting and scaling up our emergency response as the situation evolves, targeting areas of greatest need and maintaining a focus on children. We are providing emergency essentials including food, clean water, hygiene kits, baby kits, mattresses, and winter clothes, as well as creating safe spaces to provide psychosocial support to traumatized children.
We are appealing to everyone moved to give, to visit World Vision Singapore’s website or Giving.SG to support our fundraising appeal:
- https://www.worldvision.org.sg/en/ways-to-give/sector-funding/lebanon-crisis-response
- https://www.giving.sg/donate/campaign/worldvision-lebanon-crisis-response
Your donation will go towards meeting the immediate needs of people impacted by the crisis:
- $50 can provide a family of 5 with water trucking for drinking and domestic use for one month
- $250 can provide 5 families with hygiene kits that will serve them for one month
- $500 can provide 25 displaced children with educational and emotional kits including items that support learning and well-being
- $750 can sustain 5 families with sufficient fuel for their winterization needs for one month.
- $1000 can provide 8 displaced persons with one nutritious hot meal per day for one month
For further information and media interviews with our World Vision humanitarian staff in Lebanon, please contact:
Patricia Ng
Marketing Communications Manager
Email: patricia.ng@worldvision.org.sg
Hp: 97940887 / 69220145
