War refugees
Coming to the more recent events that have forcefully placed Lebanon in the spotlight of public opinion, AMURT and AMURTEL volunteers have already started working here serving the internally displaced Lebanese that within days of the beginning of aerial bombardments and artillery shelling have arrived in masse from the South of the country.
On the 20th of July we contacted the government officer in-charge for the refugees, Walid Mlaib whose office is currently based in a large school complex in Kaber Shmoon housing about 450 refugees.
Since we had completed the government registration procedures for our organization Ananda Marga Yoga, which is here a non-for-profit Civil Company, we have all the necessary legal documents and he granted us the permission to offer to the refugees homeopathic medical service directly at the government schools where they have been sheltered.
Patients waiting their turn at a government school that service refugees
We can’t reach the refugees who are staying with relatives and friends, but since they are coming to the schools to register and receive food supplies, they are also benefiting from our service.
For those who couldn't find such a homely shelter, there are government schools which have been opened to them by the local authorities.
Most of our patients suffer from anxiety and related disturbances such as stomach pain, diarrhea, palpitations etc. but we are also taking care of more chronic ailments.
Luckily homeopathic remedies are pretty good in taking care of these problems and we are already getting very good results, with people feeling better by the next day or so from getting the remedies.
A couple of days ago we bought 1400 of the small plastic bottles we use for giving the remedies to our patients, but as for the remedies, we will have to see how to get them from India as given the large number of patients we maybe running out of some important ones.
Of course the refugees need everything, from mattresses to food supplies and hopefully we will get enough support from abroad to provide such essential items to them as well.
War refugees take shelter in the government schools
I spoke with a local volunteer, Raja Mohtar, who is taking care of the refugees registration in one of the schools we visited. He told me that they weren't prepared for such an influx of people. In the area under the Aramoun municipality alone there are more than 350 families of refugees and each one is on average composed of eight people: the parents, at least four to five children and one or two grandparents.
So far they have been getting help from the political parties, such as the Progressive Socialist Party that is headed by Walid Jumlat, the leader of the Druze(this is an area where most of the people belong to the Druze religion). The Democratic Party of Saad Hariri is also helping and of course Hezbollah too.
Coming back to the refugees, Raja told me that they are trying to organize a regular kitchen because so far they have been getting packages of food for families but there isn't any fresh food inside: tuna, canned goods nothing warm and fresh. The problem is that they are afraid of going to Beirut to get gas for the large burners that would be needed to cook fresh meals for 250 people.
Well, they also don't have the money for buying all the gas bottles and refill so I told them that I will request friends around the world to help out so that people could eat properly and avoid getting sick. Another alternative would be using firewood, which here is readily available. We will see tomorrow what can be done.
I guess the future of the refugees here depends on how the hostilities will develop, but even if a ceasefire is declared and accepted by the warring parties I doubt that they will quickly go back home, fear is strong.
At the moment we are active in four schools buildings. Two in Aramoun municipality (which is just 5 kilometres from the now closed Beirut airport), housing 250 and 50 people respectively, and the Bshamoun municipality high school with 300 and finally the Aien Anoub school with 150 people.
We haven't stopped our free clinics in Shatila and Borj Al Barajne, but we have reduced the hours of service there and requested the Palestinian residents to make sure they come during the new opening hours, so that we can maximize our time and reach more people in need of medical care.
That’s all for the moment.
Dada Ganadevananda
On the 20th of July we contacted the government officer in-charge for the refugees, Walid Mlaib whose office is currently based in a large school complex in Kaber Shmoon housing about 450 refugees.
Since we had completed the government registration procedures for our organization Ananda Marga Yoga, which is here a non-for-profit Civil Company, we have all the necessary legal documents and he granted us the permission to offer to the refugees homeopathic medical service directly at the government schools where they have been sheltered.
Patients waiting their turn at a government school that service refugees
We can’t reach the refugees who are staying with relatives and friends, but since they are coming to the schools to register and receive food supplies, they are also benefiting from our service.
For those who couldn't find such a homely shelter, there are government schools which have been opened to them by the local authorities.
Most of our patients suffer from anxiety and related disturbances such as stomach pain, diarrhea, palpitations etc. but we are also taking care of more chronic ailments.
Luckily homeopathic remedies are pretty good in taking care of these problems and we are already getting very good results, with people feeling better by the next day or so from getting the remedies.
A couple of days ago we bought 1400 of the small plastic bottles we use for giving the remedies to our patients, but as for the remedies, we will have to see how to get them from India as given the large number of patients we maybe running out of some important ones.
Of course the refugees need everything, from mattresses to food supplies and hopefully we will get enough support from abroad to provide such essential items to them as well.
War refugees take shelter in the government schools
I spoke with a local volunteer, Raja Mohtar, who is taking care of the refugees registration in one of the schools we visited. He told me that they weren't prepared for such an influx of people. In the area under the Aramoun municipality alone there are more than 350 families of refugees and each one is on average composed of eight people: the parents, at least four to five children and one or two grandparents.
So far they have been getting help from the political parties, such as the Progressive Socialist Party that is headed by Walid Jumlat, the leader of the Druze(this is an area where most of the people belong to the Druze religion). The Democratic Party of Saad Hariri is also helping and of course Hezbollah too.
Coming back to the refugees, Raja told me that they are trying to organize a regular kitchen because so far they have been getting packages of food for families but there isn't any fresh food inside: tuna, canned goods nothing warm and fresh. The problem is that they are afraid of going to Beirut to get gas for the large burners that would be needed to cook fresh meals for 250 people.
Well, they also don't have the money for buying all the gas bottles and refill so I told them that I will request friends around the world to help out so that people could eat properly and avoid getting sick. Another alternative would be using firewood, which here is readily available. We will see tomorrow what can be done.
I guess the future of the refugees here depends on how the hostilities will develop, but even if a ceasefire is declared and accepted by the warring parties I doubt that they will quickly go back home, fear is strong.
At the moment we are active in four schools buildings. Two in Aramoun municipality (which is just 5 kilometres from the now closed Beirut airport), housing 250 and 50 people respectively, and the Bshamoun municipality high school with 300 and finally the Aien Anoub school with 150 people.
We haven't stopped our free clinics in Shatila and Borj Al Barajne, but we have reduced the hours of service there and requested the Palestinian residents to make sure they come during the new opening hours, so that we can maximize our time and reach more people in need of medical care.
That’s all for the moment.
Dada Ganadevananda
1 Comments:
At 10:53 PM, Raja Mehtar said…
Dear Mr. Dada..
we are thankful for the great support of AMURT Team by curing our lebanese migrated people in aramoun official school and in the region too by presenting not only dr checkup but also natural medicine for free ... and as a lebanese democratic party we didnt forget that and we wont.. just only this big mess delayed our appreciation to AMURT Organization & all other organizations and people who helped our people in those bad moments..
as well as, I'd like to mention some information published in this post War Refugees & misleaded in some points.. I spoke with a local volunteer, Raja Mohtar, who is taking care of the refugees registration in one of the schools we visited first of all, beleive me I didnt help our people to be mentioned that I volunteered for that.. its our duty to help our ppl as well I'm thankful for you.. but since you mentioned me and what I was doing.. I'd like to clarify everything.. I'm a lebanese democratic party member & we were a team working in Aramoun helping all refugees... presenting for them our homes & opening for them free apartments, we created- with the help of drs- a clinic that checked up for patients and we presented medicine for free too as well as food.. sponges etc.. thats what what Aramoun Unit Team in the lebanese democratic party worked on with the corporation with Aramoun manucipality and other parties and organizations..
So far they have been getting help from the political parties, such as the Progressive Socialist Party that is headed by Walid Jumlat, the leader of the Druze(this is an area where most of the people belong to the Druze religion). The Democratic Party of Saad Hariri is also helping and of course Hezbollah too. yes the PSP worked with us in helping ppl.. but Mr. Walid junblat is a leader in Druze religious sector.. not the only leader.. as well the "democratic party" which I guess u mentioning our political Party "Lebanese Democratic Party" which is led by Prince Talal Arslan not by Hariri which he is also from druze but I prefer the national leader since we arent religious political party..
Finally, I repeat my thankfull to AMURT Team.. I hope my words didnt bother.. my aim was to clarify those points.. as well .. we looking forward for strong corporation between us for the sake to help people.
Best Regards..
Advertising & Information General Secretary
Raja Al-Mehtar
Lebanese Democratic Party-Aramoun Unit.
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