Lebanon

Catholic Relief Services works with Lebanese partners to tackle an array of issues important to this fragile country. With the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center, CRS provides humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees and help to domestic migrant workers. With other partners, CRS is helping fractured local communities solve common problems and encouraging leadership roles for youth in their villages.

CRS' history in Lebanon includes war relief efforts during the country's lengthy civil war (1977-1992). After Lebanon's summer 2006 war, CRS Lebanon relied on over $12 million from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, Irish Aid, and CRS private funding to rebuild damaged areas. CRS organized vouchers for crops and livestock to restore lost incomes, construction projects for buildings damaged in the war, and summer camps for children traumatized by violence.

In a country often divided along religious lines, these programs have allowed CRS and our partners to gain the trust of communities of all faiths. They have also led to the creation of a cadre of progressively minded and community-oriented youth. Engaging youth in future work is a key objective for CRS.