Medical care and other help for elderly refugees

Lebanon | 2024 | CBPF

Lebanon, Nahr el-Bared, Beddawi, and Wavel refugee camps. Amina is eighty years old. When she was three years old, she and her family fled Nazareth to Lebanon. Since then, she has lived in refugee camps here.

As she’s gotten older, Amina has suffered from severe curvature in her spine. It makes it difficult to move around.

“I haven’t been able to walk around Wavel camp in six years. The most I can do is visit my neighbour,” she said, pointing to the door right next to hers. “And even that I can’t do without someone’s help!”

Like many vulnerable elders living in the refugee camps, Amina lacked access to assistive devices, physiotherapy and other support that would make life more comfortable and convenient.

With support from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund, local organization Taawon provided 700 elders in Beddawi, Nahr El-Bahd and Wavel camps with access to protection and health services, including wheelchairs and other devices, physiotherapy, and surgical support where needed.

Amina now has a wheelchair, and was looking forward to strolls around the camp with her granddaughter, unthinkable just a short while ago.

The support is both practical and important for people’s emotional health.

“I feel taken care of and appreciated when the nurse and physiotherapy team comes to visit me, and checks on my health,” said Ali Rahil, who also lives in Wavel camp and faces mobility challenges. “The new walking cane for me is quite literally my backbone. I used to borrow a cane from my neighbour, but having one of my own feels like an accomplishment.”

For Kassem Sarhan, aged 72, the economic crisis in Lebanon meant he had to give up physical therapy so that he could afford medication. “Thankfully he is back in physiotherapy, thanks to this project,” explains his wife Sahar.

Like Mr. Rahil, Mr. Sarhan looks forward to the social aspects of the programme as well. “My husband loves people and people love him. The recreational activities boost his morale,” adds Sahar.

For more information: visit the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund website, and for real-time contribution and allocation data go to the Pooled Funds Data Hub.