Hundreds of thousands are pouring out of Southern Lebanon trying to escape violence there. They arrive in the North of the country often with nothing and nowhere to go. Some are receiving help and finding shelter from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Seventh-day Adventist Church there that have teamed up to help these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The United Nations reports that an estimated 500,000 Lebanese are now displaced as they have left Southern Lebanon for what they perceive as safer neighborhoods in Beirut and the Northern part of that country.

“As part of an initial response, ADRA is mobilizing its resources in the region to respond to the most urgent needs,” said Raafat Kamal, regional director for ADRA in Trans-Europe. “Fifteen percent of the Lebanese population are internally displaced and are in urgent need of basic food, medicine, shelter and clean water.  We are working hard to aid those whose lives have been devastated by recent events, and we pray for swift resolution,” Kamal added. ADRA is distributing aid at two sites in Lebanon.

“Peoples lives and homes are just being shattered ... the Middle East is in conflict and ADRA needs to be there,” said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA International.  “ADRA is serving more than 500 people and that number grows as people continue to flee.”

Sandefur said one of the biggest challenges in Lebanon is moving large amounts goods internally.  Pastor Conrad Vine, secretary-treasurer for the Adventist Church in the Middle East, said shipping significant amounts of aid is difficult because large trucks are suspected of carrying bombs and are often destroyed.

But with grocery stores closing down resources are becoming increasingly limited.  However, “we have established relationships with some of the providers there in Lebanon. We’re able to realign and reposition [products from grocers] to help IDPs,” said Sandefur.

He added that some humanitarian corridors have opened up and hopes even more will in the future.

When asked how long ADRA plans to be in Lebanon, Sandefur responded: “Nobody knows what the future holds. There is an immense need in the next weeks, months and maybe even years. If you know the Seventh-day Adventist Church and if you know ADRA we stay. In fact we stay [long after] other agencies pack up and leave.”

He noted that even now ADRA is one of the few agencies on the ground in Lebanon. Sandefur said ADRA was able to immediately mobilize for several reasons.  “Because of our relationship with the Seventh-day Adventist church we were able to be on the ground in a hurry,” he said.

He added that ADRA was in Lebanon in 1996 and had trained several people there in aid work. “Some had taken on other jobs and just in the last 10 days they are back helping us so we already have trained people on the ground,” he said.

ADRA is also active in several Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia. Sandefur said ADRA has offered to bring help to Israel as well.

Adventist-owned schools, churches and office buildings in both Israel and Lebanon are sheltering IDPs.

ADRA is appealing for donations for its response to the Middle East crisis. To donate, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or donate online to ADRA’s Middle East Crisis Fund at www.adra.org.