Supporting vulnerable Lebanese, Palestinian and refugee communities in Bourj El Barajneh through health care, child protection and community support services since 1982.
What We Do?
Located on Baajour Street in the heart of Beirut’s southern suburbs, Bourj El Barajneh is one of the most vulnerable areas in Lebanon. The area hosts approximately 25,000 refugees in addition to more than 51,000 Lebanese residents.
Due to affordable housing and strong community solidarity, the area has become home to diverse refugee communities including Palestinians, Syrians, Kurds, Iraqis and Iraqi Assyrians, many of whom live in and around the Bourj El Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp.
Amel Association International has operated the Dr. Ghazi Beydoun Development Center since 1982 in coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and YMCA, supporting vulnerable Lebanese residents and Palestinian refugees living in difficult humanitarian conditions.
About the Center
According to UNRWA, more than 20,000 Palestinian refugees live in the Bourj El Barajneh camp, despite the camp originally being designed for approximately 10,000 residents within a one square kilometer area.
Following the Syrian crisis, many Syrian refugee families also moved into the camp, dramatically increasing overcrowding and humanitarian needs.
Residents continue to face extremely difficult living conditions, including unsafe infrastructure, collapsing buildings and dangerous electrical networks that cause injuries and deaths every year.
Primary Health Care
Since 2014, Amel has expanded health activities within the center to respond to the growing needs of Syrian refugees and vulnerable local communities.
The center provides a comprehensive primary health care package including general and specialized consultations, medicine distribution and health awareness sessions.
Health services aim to improve access to affordable and dignified medical care for marginalized families living in and around the camp.
Child Protection
The center implements child protection activities for Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian refugee children through psychosocial support and community-based programmes.
Activities include psychological consultations, “learning languages by playing” sessions, recreational activities, outreach and awareness sessions for parents.
Puppet shows, theater, songs, drawing and community events are organized weekly in a safe and child-friendly environment.
Psychosocial Support
Children and families benefit from psychosocial support programmes designed to strengthen emotional well-being, resilience and social inclusion.
The center provides safe spaces where children can express themselves, interact positively and recover from the psychological effects of conflict, displacement and poverty.
Community Outreach
Outreach activities and community events help strengthen solidarity between refugees and host communities while increasing awareness on child protection, health and social support services.
Around 100 children and beneficiaries participate every week in activities organized by the center.
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