AmeriCares Sends Airlift to Lebanon

STAMFORD, CT, August 21, 2006 – An AmeriCares airlift will arrive in Beirut tomorrow, bringing more than 15 tons of essential medicines and relief supplies to help the critical humanitarian situation in Lebanon.

The AmeriCares airlift will leave from Amman, Jordan and arrive in Beirut tomorrow morning (local time in Lebanon). The plane will be carrying medical and disaster relief supplies including antibiotics, analgesics, and basic first aid supplies valued at $2 million. An AmeriCares emergency response team will accompany the flight.

AmeriCares is partnering with the nonprofit humanitarian agency American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) which will distribute these life-saving medical treatments and supplies to a network of major hospitals and health clinics. Nearly one million Lebanese were displaced during the course of the conflict, but hundreds of thousands have begun returning home. This influx could further strain the health care system, which was largely cut off from receiving medical supplies over the past month. The AmeriCares donations will help address the health needs of those returning to southern Lebanon.

“Through this airlift, AmeriCares is fulfilling a vital role by providing essential medicines to people who are at risk as this crisis continues,” said Curt Welling, president and CEO of AmeriCares.

AmeriCares has been working in the Middle East for more than two decades and during its history, has responded to humanitarian needs in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, Jordan and Israel. Currently, AmeriCares supports ANERA with regular deliveries of medicines throughout the year; the July shipment arrived shortly before the port was closed and that aid was distributed during the early days of the violence. 

To learn more about AmeriCares’ relief efforts in the Middle East, or to make a contribution to support these efforts, log onto www.americares.org or call 1-800-486-HELP (4357).

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AmeriCares is a nonprofit international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs around the world. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has distributed more than $5 billion in humanitarian aid to 137 countries. AmeriCares has been given a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest possible rating, indicating effective management practices. 

Since 1968, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), a leading American NGO providing humanitarian aid to the Middle East, has been a leader in creating innovative job, health and education opportunities in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Lebanon, and providing emergency relief during periods of difficulty. ANERA is a U.S. registered 501(c) non profit organization, and is an American Institute of Philanthropy’s Top-Rated charity. It also has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the second year in a row, and is the recipient of the Arab American Institute’s Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Award. ANERA has field offices in Jerusalem, Gaza, Amman and Beirut.