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QRCS extends medical, food support to reduce Coronavirus impact in Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps [EN/AR]

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September 23rd, 2020 Doha: With funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the representation mission of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) in Lebanon has made progress in supporting the emergency response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

In coordination with Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), medical services and other needs are provided for those infected with the disease or financially affected by the crisis.

Up to now, 19,700 food baskets and 1,000 family hygiene kits have been distributed at Wavel (Beqaa), Ein El-Hilweh and Mieh ou Mieh (Sidon), Nahr El-Bared, Baalbek, and Burj Barajneh, thus sending the overall number of beneficiaries at the Palestinian camps to 98,500.

The distributions of hygiene kits are part of PRCS’s community awareness program, which involves regular sessions focusing on mothers, to educate them on how to sanitize the place and avoid the spread of infection. Also, there are doo-to-door awareness visits to maximize the outcomes of the hygiene kits.

For the benefit of medical professionals,

70 sets of personal protective equipment (PPEs) were procured to protect ambulance personnel, and similar sets were delivered for 10 medical centers serving camp residents. These include 3,365 N-95 masks, 2,776 face masks, 10,000 disposable gowns, 3,500 glove boxes, 1,040 overhead boxes, 3,040 overshoe boxes, and 50 digital thermometers.

The two LRC ambulance vehicles assigned for the project are operating inside the camps in response to the increasing COVID-19 cases. This was recognized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in brief news as the first time at Ein Al-Helwa Camp. A total of 150 cases have been transported during the period covered by the report. The delivery process is being finalized for the remaining medical equipment to support the isolation hospital.

In coordination with QFFD, QRCS’s mission is supervising all the project’s activities, together with PRCS and LRC, under a previously signed memorandum of understanding (MoU). Strict preventive measures are followed to ensure the safety of both the beneficiaries and distributors.

The project of Coronavirus control at Palestinian refugee camps is aimed at mitigating the spread of the disease and minimizing secondary health impacts, by supporting health facilities to cope with the response to COVID-19 while maintaining other health services running.

Targets of the project are 10 health centers, 1 quarantine hospital, and ambulance vehicles to be utilized in patient transportation for the duration of the project. Also, the vulnerable communities are given advise to protect themselves through essential hygiene practices.

Another aspect of the QFFD-funded project is to mitigate the adverse economic impact of lockdown, by providing basic food assistance for 27,800 poor families the Palestinian camps and communities in South (Rashidieh, Burj Shemali, El-Buss, Ein El-Hilweh, Mieh ou Mieh, and Sahel), Beirut (Shatila, Burj Barajneh, and Mar Elias), North (Beddawi and Nahr El-Bared), and Beqaa (Wavel Baalbek). The total number of beneficiaries is estimated at 139,400, including 8,430 persons with special needs.

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About Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS)

Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is a humanitarian volunteering organization that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.

QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 191 National Societies. QRCS is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO). In this legally recognized capacity, QRCS has access to disaster and conflict zones, thus serving as an auxiliary to the State of Qatar in its humanitarian efforts — a role that distinguishes it from other local charities and NGOs.

QRCS operates both locally and internationally and has ongoing international relief and development projects in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. QRCS's humanitarian actions include providing support in disaster preparedness, disaster response, risk reduction, and disaster recovery. To mitigate the impact of disasters and improve the livelihoods of affected populations, QRCS provides medical services, healthcare, and social development to local communities. It is also active at the humanitarian advocacy front. With the help of a vast network of trained, committed staff and volunteers, QRCS aspires to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.

QRCS works under the umbrella of the seven international humanitarian principles: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.