Community centres: Supporting displaced families

Since the launch of the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, DEC charities have been working tirelessly to support people across the region. In Lebanon, thousands of families faced multiple displacements, living in overcrowded shelters or camps. In the West Bank, violence has devastated lives and livelihoods, while in Syria, people fleeing conflict faced constant uncertainty.

In response to the ongoing displacement, funds from the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal supported DEC charity Christian Aid’s local partner Mouvement Social’s work through their community centres in Beirut.

Families who were forced to flee their homes benefited from the centre’s services such as psychological support, daily meals, shower and laundry services, hygiene kits, winter relief items, and vocational training in cooking and sewing.

Since the launch of the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, DEC charities have been working tirelessly to support people across the region. In Lebanon, thousands of families faced multiple displacements, living in overcrowded shelters or camps. In the West Bank, violence has devastated lives and livelihoods, while in Syria, people fleeing conflict faced constant uncertainty.

In response to the ongoing displacement, funds from the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal supported DEC charity Christian Aid’s local partner Mouvement Social’s work through their community centres in Beirut.

Families who were forced to flee their homes benefited from the centre’s services such as psychological support, daily meals, shower and laundry services, hygiene kits, winter relief items, and vocational training in cooking and sewing.

"The services met all of our needs, The services they offered were very good and met all of our needs. the support had a big impact on us. I came to the centre for psychological and emotional support along with other care one gives to another in need. I found all of this here for myself and my children."
 

Since the launch of the appeal, people’s situations in Lebanon were constantly changing. Following the first ceasefire agreement in November 2024, many displaced families decided to go home, returning to their homes and services destroyed.

Using DEC funds, Islamic Relief Lebanon worked to support people in the South of the country, where many had returned to damaged homes and savings spent whilst living away.  Regular food distributions helped provide essential items such as chickpeas, cooking oil and flour to families in need during Phase 2 of the DEC response. One box was designed for a family of 4 for around a month.

Throughout the conflict children have faced constant uncertainty. Many have left their homes overnight, being taken away from their families, schools and communities, unsure if they would ever be able to return.

During the first Phase of the DEC response, DEC charity World Vision worked with local partner
organisation SHEILD to provide psychosocial support to children at a school in Mt Lebanon.

Maryam, a 37-year-old mother of four living in Beirut, shared how her children struggled with the emotional pressure of the crisis, but found joy again in the activities at the school.  

"Zahraa (Maryam’s oldest daughter) comes home and tells me, "today we got a visit from the organisation and we were very happy,” that sentence alone is enough. I don’t know the details of what happens in them, but she tells me, “we were happy, they entertained us”.

For people in the West Bank, they have faced threats to their livelihoods as the conflict as escalated. These challenges have increased protection risks, disrupted livelihoods, deepened food insecurity and constrained access to essential services.

Sherin, a farmer in the West Bank, is one of many families in the West Bank, around 15% of the population, who rely on her olive harvest to survive. In October 2024, Sherin and her family were attacked while harvesting their olive trees.

“Our harvest, along with our tools, was stolen. Many of our trees were damaged. It was heartbreaking,” she recalls.

But even in the face of loss, hope found a way to grow. Using funds from the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, DEC funds provided conditional financial assistance to the most affected farmers.

This helped to enable them to purchase new tools and materials to restore their groves and rebuild their lives. In total, 300 farmers were supported using DEC funds.

“This support allowed us to return to our land and care for our olive trees once more. It brought joy back into our hearts, and reminded us that we are not alone.”

The ongoing conflict and instability across the Middle East have had a devastating impact on people's livelihoods, leaving millions of people struggling to earn an income, access essential services and meet their most basic needs.

Sama was forced to flee her home whilst caring for her elderly mother, she found herself in Beirut with no secure source income to pay for her mother's medication.  

“Our house was bombed. It was levelled to the ground. I came to Beirut because my mother’s high blood pressure would have worsened from the fear of staying in our village.”

Through a DEC funded sewing course, Sama improved her sewing skills at a community centre run by Mouvement Social, a local partner organisation of Christian Aid. The course helped her to rebuild her livelihood in Beirut to support her and her mother’s daily expenses.

“I am really happy because I take sewing very seriously. Not only able bodied people can work, but as a disabled person I can work too. I can do everything. I’ve now received a sewing machine that is more advanced. I can use it to work on different things and get more clients as it has different features.”

This appeal is now closed, but DEC funds will continue to support communities as they prepare for the winter months ahead. most DEC member charities and their partners will continue this critical work long term, and welcome further donations to their own appeals, find out more here.