A delegation of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) visited a number of joint humanitarian projects in North and Beqaa Governorates.
Maha Al-Barjas, KRCS Secretary-General, had an overview of the work done by the two organizations in service of Syrian refugees and the host communities in Lebanon.
She was accompanied by Omar Katerji, head of QRCS mission in Lebanon, Musaed Al-Anzi, head of KRCS mission in Lebanon, and some staff of the two missions.
The tour began from Tripoli Governmental Hospital, where Dr. Fawaz Hallab explained the stages of the "Syrian Refugee Preterm Neonatal Incubators" project, which is co-funded by the two organizations under an MoU signed four months ago.
Ms. Al-Barjas stressed the importance of projects conducted jointly with QRCS, especially those targeted at refugee children, who need special care.
"It is crucial to support Lebanon. This is the responsibility of all countries, not just Qatar and Kuwait. We need to enhance cooperation between Red Crescent and Red Cross societies and civil society organizations, both local and international, to help Syrian refugees. The situation is tragic, and nobody can tell when the crisis will come to an end," she remarked.
According to Mr. Katerji, the preterm neonatal incubators project, which was initiated in March 2015, covered the costs of care for 984 Syrian preterm newborns, with a 10-day incubator stay rate.
"As the Syrian crisis goes on, it is our duty to think and act together, and to invest the resources brought in by donors in significant humanitarian projects to save the lives of refugees and alleviate their suffering," he pointed out.
Dr. Hallab saw great progress in the incubators project in relation to the quality of medical services offered to newborns, particularly as this is the only incubator department in Northern Governorate, where preterm babies had been prone to death.
He highlighted the importance of cooperation between QRCS and KRCS and their efforts to save the lives of children and help the hospital continue to pursue its humanitarian work.
After that, the delegation visited the water purification plant in Saadnayel to see the process of providing drinking water for refugee camps. Lastly, they took a tour to watch the thermal insulation project and visit the breast cancer center in Majdal Anjar.
