Lebanon Deployment

When you raise money for charity, you trust it reaches the people who truly need it. I travelled to Lebanon for seven days to see that process firsthand — distributing aid to Syrian and Palestinian refugees and working alongside teams on the ground. This blog is a reflection on that journey: what we did, what I learned, and the realities behind the headlines.

Day 1 – Arrival and First Impressions

The deployment didn’t exactly start smoothly. I was running late and ended up arriving at the airport around 50 minutes after our scheduled meeting time — not the calm beginning I had hoped for. Still, once I arrived, things began to fall into place.

Despite that, the group dynamic was immediately positive. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and easy to get along with. We had people from all across London, spanning a wide range of ages.

The flight itself was relatively empty. When we arrived we faced issues at immigration which seemed a bit unnecessary and we were held for 2 hours. After we were allowed to leave we got to the hotel where we met the other part of the group that flew in from Birmingham. We had some food and received our Salam kits before calling it a night as we had an early start the next day.

Day 2 – Intentions, History, and the First Camp Visit (Akkar)

The day began with a group meeting in a conference room where we all introduced ourselves properly. Waseem (CEO of Salam Charity) asked us to reflect on why we were there and to write down our intentions for the deployment. This was to renew our intentions and remind ourselves of why we were there.

Mine was simple but deeply important to me: To help people who are in need, and to help spread the message that the funds raised genuinely reach the people they are intended for.

We then received a broader historical and political overview of Lebanon and the region. Lebanon was once occupied by Syria and later controlled by the Syrian regime until it eventually fell. The assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri played a key role in the withdrawal of Syrian forces, leading to Lebanon regaining sovereignty and, eventually, holding their first election in 2005

Since around 2010–2011, Lebanon has seen a huge influx of Syrian refugees. These refugees have extremely limited options when it comes to work, often restricted to labour-intensive jobs. Public opinion towards them mirrors what we see in the UK — sympathy mixed with resentment, compassion tangled with economic fear.

What stood out was the charity’s philosophy: breaking people out of the cycle of poverty, not just through short-term aid like food or fuel, but by helping families set up small businesses and sustainable livelihoods.

Around 60–70% of the money I raised will be used directly during this deployment. The remaining funds will support a clinic near the Lebanese-Israeli border for an entire year. That clinic was previously bombed and now operates as a mobile unit — another stark reminder of how unstable the region remains.

Later, we visited a refugee camp in Akkar, home to around 50 families. The families are identified through trusted, on-the-ground helpers who understand the real needs of the community. The food packs we distributed were funded directly by the donations we raised. Beyond the physical aid, listening to families’ stories was just as important — their experiences help the charity identify new and emerging issues and adapt their support accordingly.

I met Muhammad Hafiz Durz, a 25-year-old Syrian refugee who fled Syria with his family in 2013 at the age of 14. He is now married to Laila, also from Syria, and they now have three children:

• Duha (5 years old)
• Ahmed (4 years old)
• Tulin (18 months old)

We learnt that Ahmed was born intersex and requires six corrective surgeries. So far he has had two but further progress is stalled due to financial constaints. Muhammad told us that he required two procedures otherwise his long-term development may be comprimised, the remaining surgeries costing at around $2000 each. We were told how they kept Ahmeds condition private, but with increased medical appointments and Ahmed's growing awareness have made it difficult to remain discreet. It was at this point where Muhammad told us that Ahmed had asked him 'Why can I not use the toilet the same way the other boys do'. This was something that stuck with me for the rest of the trip. In the UK this would have been remidied at birth straight away but here families do not have that luxury. The family is in debt of up $4000 from having to borrow money to have to pay for Ahmeds surgeries, Muhammad told us how he was struggling to work, refugees in Lebanon often can only get work doing heavy labour, he has a slipped disc in his lower back so struggles to find jobs that he can do. In Lebanon refugees cannot attend school and without government-issues residency cards they are ineligible for public education. This was the first time a charity has visited them directly. A local charity previously contributed partially to Ahmed's check-ups, but ongoing support is lacking.

We also helped furnish tents to prepare families for the winter months. This involved handing out mattresses, lights, kitchen utensils, rugs and heaters!

One of the most uplifting moments of the day was visiting the “Tent of Dreams” an educational and community space. This started off as a tent but has since, through your donations, become a school with over 150 children attending. We met 60 of the 150 students there, planted flowers together, painted a wall, played games, and ended the day by handing out presents.

Day 3 – Visiting the Palestinian Camps

Day three took us to Burj al-Barajneh, one of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The camp is just one square kilometre in size, with strict restrictions preventing any building beyond its borders. Originally designed to house 5,000–10,000 people, it now contains an estimated 30,000–40,000 residents.

The overcrowding is overwhelming. Narrow streets twist between buildings stacked upwards, with electrical wiring dangerously close to water pipes. Every year, children die due to these hazardous conditions.

We distributed 100 food packs to residents of the camp, but the day wasn’t only about aid. We were invited to a Palestinian cultural day where children performed traditional dances for us. We shared Palestinian coffee and food, and walked through stalls showcasing crafts, art, and local traditions.

Two charity auctions were held for paintings created by residents. One of the pieces I won was particularly moving — the proceeds were going toward helping the artist’s mother, who is battling cancer.

Later that evening, we travelled to our next hotel near the Syrian border. Initially we had plans to travel to Syria but due to active bombing in Homs, travelling into Syria wasn’t possible because of security concerns.

Day 4 – Understanding Syria: Fear, Revolution, and Rebuilding (Arsaal)

Although we couldn’t enter Syria, the start to day four was dedicated to understanding its history and the roots of the conflict.

Syria was occupied by the French during the 1930s and 40s. During their rule, the French employed a “divide and conquer” strategy, empowering a minority group — the Alawites — and ensuring that the Syrian army was largely composed of them. This meant that senior military positions were held almost exclusively by members of this group.

When the French left, they created a power vacuum. Military coups followed one another until 1971, when Hafez al-Assad carried out the final coup and seized control. From then on, power remained within his family. Syria developed a culture of fear — a belief that “the walls have ears.” Speaking out against the government was unthinkable.

We heard personal stories illustrating this fear, including one from Osama, whose uncle once had to explain to him why certain things simply could not be spoken about back home.

In 1982, the Hama massacre saw an entire city effectively wiped out. When Hafez al-Assad died in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took over. Internet access was only allowed in 2006.

In 2011, during the Arab Spring, peaceful protests erupted across the Arab world. In Syria, it began with children aged 9–15 writing graffiti against the regime. They were arrested and tortured. When tribal leaders begged for their release, the governor reportedly responded with chilling cruelty, telling them to “forget your children and make more.”

Peaceful protests were met with violence. Over time, more than one million people were killed.

On 27 November 2024, a military campaign began, and within 11 days, the country was liberated. Assad reportedly handed over the coordinates of Syria’s defences to Israel in exchange for safe passage, and those defences were bombed almost immediately. Syria is now in the process of rebuilding.

After packing the tents away we visted a local camp where we did a food distribution, it was here that we had another family visit and we met Wafaa Abdul Rahman Kaddour. She came to Lebanon 11 years ago and got married and gave birth to 3 young boys.

Her three sons are:

• Osama (10 years olds)
• Mahid (8 years old)
• Naser (6 years old)

Sadly her husband left her and her sons to fend for themselves and they haven't heard from him in 3 years. To provide for the family sister Wafa works as a maid in local houses but only gets paid $3 for a days work. This doesn't even cover the rent. Yes, they have to pay for the spot in the refugee camp. This situation has stripped the kids of their childhood as her eldest son, Osama, has said he's the man of the house and tries to earn money by collecting plastic tanks which are used for fuel. Sister Wafa told us how she doesn't cry anymore as she wants to remain strong in front of the kids and that if she cries they will cry as well. The most upsetting thing she told us was about the last winter where she had to burn plastics to keep her sons warm, her youngest son developed a bad reaction to it and she had to take him to the hospital not knowing whether he would survive or not. Her main worry now was the upcoming winter and how they were going to get through it.

We managed to provide some supplies for the family and gave them some immediate monetary assitance so that they could remain stable. Following up on this we helped furnish their tent with items that would get them through winter. This included a fridge, carpet, thick blankets, mattresses, pillows, washing machine, gas stove and fuel and food packs for then next two months.

Circling back to the return of the Syrian refugees its important to note that not all families were able to go back. As a goodbye we hosted a fun day for them, this involved a funfair for the kids followed up by a community dinner for the refugees and volunteers and we ended the night by sitting around a bonfire!

Day 5 - Livelihood projects

Day 6 – Orphans, Joy, and Closing Thoughts

The final day was emotionally lighter but no less meaningful. We took a group 50 of orphans shopping — giving them the rare opportunity to choose things for themselves. I met Mahmoud, who has five siblings, I remember at the end of the day he said this was one of the best days in his life. Moments like that put life sharply into perspective.

Later, we took the kids to an arcade, playing games and laughing together. This was one of the most light-hearted moments of the trip and everyone really got into it.

The day ended with a final reflection session. We each shared our highlight of the week, our saddest moment, and what we planned to take back with us to the UK.

What I took back wasn’t just memories — it was responsibility. Responsibility to tell these stories honestly, to show that donations do make a difference, and to carry the voices of the people we met beyond borders and headlines.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me on this trip, without you guys I wouldn't have been able to experience this. I fully believe everyone should try to experience a trip like this at least once in their lives, it is truly life changing. It really puts into perspective the situation that is often underplayed by the media in the west. I would also like to thank all the staff at Salam Charity for making this trip so informative and for making it all run smoothly.

While some might find the task of fundraising daunting, I would also like to say that charity doesn't always have to involve travelling halfway across the world. There are numerous charitable endeavours that be undertaken in the UK itself, get involved! Definitely have a look at Salam Charity, they offer multiple ways of volunteering, whether it be helping out at fundraising events or partaking in their challenges such as climbing Mount Snowdon!