Caritas Lebanon

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Coordinates: 33°52′03″N 35°32′21″E / 33.86748216554016°N 35.53905275771887°E / 33.86748216554016; 35.53905275771887
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Caritas Lebanon
كاريتاس لبنان
Established1976
TypeNonprofit
HeadquartersDr Youssef Hajjar Street, Sin el Fil
Location
Coordinates33°52′03″N 35°32′21″E / 33.86748216554016°N 35.53905275771887°E / 33.86748216554016; 35.53905275771887
OriginsCatholic Social Teaching[1]
Region served
Lebanon
Fieldssocial work
President
Michel Abboud
Main organ
Board of Directors
AffiliationsCaritas MONA, Caritas Internationalis
Websitewww.caritas.org.lb

Caritas Lebanon (Arabic: كاريتاس لبنان, French: Caritas Liban) is a Catholic Lebanese nonprofit organisation, established in 1976. It is the official aid organisation of the Catholic Church in Lebanon and implements social welfare services and provides humanitarian aid. It is one of the best-known and largest NGOs in the country[2][3][4][5] and a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas MONA.

Background[edit]

Caritas Lebanon's predecessor was established in 1972 by Elie Mamery, a Lebanese Jesuit in Sidon in the South of the country.[6] The initial activities included distribution of primary care items, such as medicines and clothes to families in need in the bordering villages. In the following years, the organisation opened social centres, medical centres and mobile clinics, which became even more important with the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) and the displacement of people in provoked.[7]

In 1976, the organisation took its current name and the bishops and patriarchs of the Catholic Church in Lebanon formally recognized Caritas as the socio-pastoral organ of the Church in Lebanon.[7]

Caritas Lebanon's network of 60 health and social centres spans across a large part of the country, providing services to both the local population and refugees alike.[8] In addition, its mobile clinics travel up and down the country, especially in rural areas.[9]

Since the 1990s, Caritas Lebanon has also specialised on supporting migrants and advocating for migrant rights within Lebanon. The Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC) assists thousands of migrants every year through services such as psychosocial support, counselling, social assistance, medical aid, legal aid, training, and shelter.[10]

Following the Lebanese liquidity crisis and the subsequent economic downturn, there has been a significant rise in the number of individuals seeking assistance from Caritas.[11][12][13]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caritas in Lebanon.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Member organisation in Lebanon". caritas.org. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  2. ^ Blokiau, Claudine (19 September 2017). "Interview with Michael Ghosoub from Caritas Lebanon". activityinfo.org. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center". unhcr.org. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  4. ^ ""Lebanon is overwhelmed", warns Catholic charity on the front-line". reliefweb.org. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center". endchilddetention.org. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Caritas Lebanon". devex.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Our History". caritas.org.lb. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ Makkieh, Manal (14 August 2020). "Rita Rhayem: Caritas Lebanon's first woman General Director of Caritas". annahar.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Caritas Lebanon". unescwa.org. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Caritas Lebanon Migrants Centre (CLMC)/Migrants Project". micicinitiative.iom.int. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  11. ^ Westphal Perrier, Camille (30 December 2021). "Le système de santé libanais s'effondre, le président de Caritas Liban lance un appel à l'aide". infochretienne.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  12. ^ Bordoni, Linda (17 July 2020). "Caritas: Lebanon is collapsing amid international indifference". vaticannews.va. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  13. ^ Marilyn Rodrigues, 17 February 2023 (17 February 2023). "Caritas Lebanon president: crisis has forced nation's youth to leave". catholicweekly.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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