As Lebanon faces the most intense hostilities since the 2006 war, over one million people have been displaced, 90% in the past week, according to national authorities. In response, the World Food Programme (WFP) in coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, is providing emergency cash assistance to nearly 10,000 affected households in in Southern Lebanon. Since the outbreak of tensions in the region nearly a year ago, UN Volunteers Laila Hojeij, Maya Hamd, Reem Al Sarih, and Zeina Abbas have been working tirelessly with WFP to ensure vulnerable communities, including displaced people, receive the food and nutritional support they urgently need.
As Data Entry Assistant, Reem’s role involves managing grievances under the Emergency Social Safety Net program. She diligently addresses beneficiary grievances and ensures timely resolutions. “I work with various types of data related to grievances, cash assistance distributions, and beneficiary feedback. This data is used to identify trends, monitor program effectiveness, and inform decision-making processes,” notes Reem.
She played a key role in the establishment of a call center, launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs in Lebanon with WFP’s support. This project is dedicated to serving people who rely on social assistance and is aimed to serve as a source of information for about 169,000 Lebanese families . Reem delivered training sessions for both WFP and the ministry’s focal points, equipping them with the necessary skills to use software, thus improving the overall efficiency and capacity of the call center.
Maya Hamd, IT Solutions Developer, champions innovation to improve service delivery. Her work is focused on developing efficient tools that streamline access to food assistance through automation, data accuracy and timely access to essential services. For example, her first project, a website that helps beneficiaries locate the nearest assistance center, helped reduce time and effort in navigating service locations. “The project improved the overall experience for beneficiaries, making the process more efficient for both users and the organization,” she says.
Maya designs user-friendly and lightweight platforms, ensuring quick loading even with limited connectivity.
By improving how beneficiaries access support, technology empowers people to manage their food and financial resources more effectively. Over time, these innovations help create more sustainable systems, ensuring that vulnerable communities can sustain their livelihoods." -- Maya Hamd, IT Solutions Developer, WFP Lebanon.
Laila Hojeij, Business Support Assistant Nutritionist, plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing nutrition-sensitive programs focused on behavior change to reduce malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. “By integrating these strategies into our programs, we help ensure more impactful and effective interventions, ultimately improving nutritional outcomes and health in the communities we serve,” she explains.
One of her key contributions is the integration of the collective knowledge, attitudes, and practices on nutrition into a study offering insights into how gender dynamics affect nutrition practices. The data collection process included focus groups with women in the South. These discussions allowed Laila to identify gender and nutrition issues faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
As for the current crisis response, Laila is supporting the design of the food ready to eat parcels and hot meals being distributed, ensuring they are nutritionally balanced.As a Field Monitoring Assistant, Zeina Abbas ensures the effective delivery of food assistance by conducting field visits, monitoring compliance, and gathering beneficiary feedback. Her work ensures that assistance is delivered safely and fairly, especially to people with disabilities and IDPs.
WFP's assistance has had a significant impact on the lives of IDPs in the South. The provision of food assistance helps to alleviate immediate hunger and food insecurity, enabling families to focus on rebuilding their lives rather than worrying about their next meal.” -- Zeina Abbas, Field Monitoring Assistant, WFP Lebanon.
Zeina is particularly proud of her role as a Disability Inclusion Champion. She led discussions with beneficiaries with disabilities to improve accessibility in distribution processes. “We identified specific barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, which informed adjustments to our distribution processes, ultimately enhancing accessibility,” she explains.
While their roles differ, the collective impact that Laila, Maya, Reem and Zeina are making is significant. Together, they strive to improve lives, strengthen systems, and create pathways towards food security for vulnerable people. They are committed to helping, despite the escalating tensions in the region, to demonstrate the power of volunteerism in tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time.