Our free clinic in Sidon/Saida is already helping children by treating cavities and toothaches, and providing dental hygiene. We just received some videos on the clinic in action – thanks to you painful tooth has been removed, and children are getting dental check-ups to help prevent the effects of dental neglect. There is much more going on, but these instances show what can be achieved in a short time with your help!
Be sure to donate to help keep the clinic going and providing dental and medical services to those in need.
Our clinic in Lebanon is shaping up! We have started moving the equipment in and getting things organized. We are planning for an opening at the end of this month.
The clinic is located in Sidon, which is just south of Beirut. The space will allow for several exam rooms for both medical and dental services. And this is where the medications you donated for Lebanon will be distribute from this clinic.
To keep the medical and dental clinics staffed and operating we estimate the cost will be about $5000 per month. Once they are open, we will have regular medical and dental missions there where volunteer doctors, dentists, and nurses can come and help out for a week or so. We need to continue to raise funds for the clinic to ensure that the people in need there will have access and can get general care.
SCM’s representative in Lebanon, Ali Osseiran, has been busy with his team organizing distributions for the goods that finally arrived there – after almost a year in bureaucratic limbo. The first of several distributions took place in a town east of Saida called Mesh Elhabaes.
The donations distributed included blankets and quilts, medical equipment, walkers and crutches, hygiene supplies, clothing and toys. These are people hit hard by the economic collapse in Lebanon. They are getting basic supplies from SCM that they would otherwise have a hard time, or not be able to find at all.
We will have more photos from our distributions over the next few weeks so you can see that your donations are getting into the hands of refugees and people hit hard by the economic troubles of the country.
Diapers and walkersA man picking up quilts and other supplies for his childrenBlankets and quiltsBlankets and quilts, plus other suppliesAdult and baby diapersHand sanitizer and diapersDiapers, quilts and other suppliesOur distribution team in SaidaOur representative, Ali (middle) and his team of volunteersOur team at the distribution site
SCM did a distribution last week in Jordan that included hand-made dolls, stuffed animals, wheelchairs and crutches. These were sent over last year in a container to our warehouse in Jordan. Thank you to the people who donated the toys and the medical equipment!
In Lebanon, people are going hungry because of the economic collapse. They simply do not have the money to buy food unless they can get US dollars to buy things, and too many people are not able to do that – they don’t have international connections and the banks are not letting people withdraw US dollars, a currency that had been used interchangeably with the Lebanese lira for years, and in fact the lira had been pegged to the dollar until 2019. For a better explanation of the economic downfall of Lebanon, read this article in The Nation magazine.
The economic situation is so dire right now with inflation causing prices to skyrocket, that people who were making a living wage, middle class income, can no longer afford to buy food, get gas for their cars or pay for electricity. So much is imported into Lebanon that is no longer available or in extremely short supply, such as wheat, paracetamol for pain relief and other medications, and the black marketeers are stepping up their activity for a price. Even women’s hygiene products are becoming extremely scarce, causing other effects for women in an already difficult situation.
SCM is active in Lebanon helping get food and medications to the people. We have also set up two free clinics to serve people who can’t afford to go to the doctor. We sent the first of two containers filled with supplies you donated to Lebanon to weeks ago and we have another awaiting the confirmation by the shipping company for the departure date. It will be loaded with more supplies including medical supplies, baby formula and diapers, solar lanterns, and other needed items. Our team in Lebanon will make sure every item is given to someone in need.
