Khiam

What We Do ?

Khiyam city is characterized by its demographic diversity and geographical location overlooking occupied Palestine and the Golan Heights, situated approximately 130 kilo meters (81 mi) south from the capital city of Beirut. Famous of its famous Israeli prison (detention center), which was used to torture locals and the resistance, the city was destroyed by the Israeli army many times.
After the outbreak of war in Syria, the city received a large number of displaced people, with the rest of the south, 117,723 Syrian Refugees according to UNHCR.

The center was created during the Lebanese Civil War and was part of the first responders during the 2006 Israeli aggression. Currently, there are mainly two projects implemented in Khiam: primary health care activities and psycho-social support for elderly populations.
In 2017, a new livelihood project, funded by the Crisis Center (French Embassy), will start and provide vocational training (nursing and food production), life skills, English, IT courses, internship opportunities and psycho-social support to youths affected by the Syrian crisis.

The center has been rehabilitated to meet the Ministry of Public Health Standards. This rehabilitation was partly funded by Khiam Municipality.

Special awareness sessions and community events, focusing on improving social cohesion between Syrian refugees and Host Communities, are also being conducted at the PHC, with the support of the French Agency for Development.

The primary health care project started in 2013, with the financial support of UNHCR, targeting Syrian refugees. It includes: awareness sessions and campaigns (for instance, related to the breast cancer), subsidized consultations (generalist and specialists such as ophthalmologist, rheumatologist, dentist, physiotherapist, etc.), vaccination (campaigns with the ministry of public health), lab tests (the center has its own lab), social counseling (with the support of the social worker), prescription of drugs, referral for secondary health care.

The psycho-social support for elderly populations has been launched in September 2015, in cooperation with Help Age. It includes: social counseling, psychological consultations, physical activities, rehabilitation of the center (age friendly), recreational activities and community events (cooking classes, gardening, etc.). During the two years of implementation, the project will target around 600 beneficiaries. A similar initiative is being piloted in Amel’s center located in Mashgharah. The purpose of those two pilot projects is as well to replicate them in other locations.

Until 2014, the center was hosting non-formal education activities, with the financial support of UNHCR, targeting Syrian refugees. This after school support project had to stop due to funding shortage. Currently, Amel is assessing the opportunities in order to resume these activities in the center. Moreover, Amel secured funding to operate a mobile medical unit. Non-formal education activities will be conducted in the camps surrounding Khiam and cultural / recreational sessions will be held in partnership with the French NGO LEM.
Amel provides up to 500 medical consultations per month. Almost 50% of the consultations are operated with children (under 5 years old). Children are receiving vaccinations for communicable diseases. Respiratory diseases are the most prevalent.