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Ajialouna Organization “Ajialouna” is a women-led non-profit organization engaged in charitable, cultural, social, healthcare and educational programs. Founded in Beirut in March 1995, Ajialouna’s mandate is to serve the local Lebanese community as a whole. For over 25 years, Ajialouna has been committed to supporting less privileged individuals, believing that all people deserve to have equal access to good health, social security and educational opportunities; improve their standard of living and increase their awareness to strive towards education, health, and financial stability.

Since its establishment, Ajialouna has grown to focus its efforts through its programs primarily across the areas of health, health awareness, education, social aid and women empowerment.

Current Health Challenges

The existing health system in the country is currently under immense pressure. The worsening economic and financial situation beginning in 2019, compounded with the outbreak of COVID-19, the Beirut port explosion and its impact on medical and healthcare centers along with the severe shortages of even basic medications let alone medications used to treat COVID-19 patients are in scarce supply.

As of January 13, 2021, Lebanon reported 4,988 new cases and 35 deaths, reaching its highest daily number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Cumulative cases have now reached 231,936 and 1,740 total deaths.

Local health officials and hospitals are sounding the alarm on the widespread community outbreak spiraling out of control and compromising hospitals’ ability to provide urgent and lifesaving care and treatments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Case Capacity

The week of Jan 4 – Jan 10 recorded a significant 57% increase in the number of cases as compared to the prior week, despite the increase in testing. Positivity rates have also increased, recording an average of 16.7% in the week of Jan 4 – Jan 10 and witnessing a 44.4% increase in mortality, amounting to 1,740 overall deaths with the highest mortality rate registered since the start of the pandemic, 2.44 per 100,000 population.

Call for Donations

These are truly extraordinary times in Lebanon. The country has never witnessed such immense pressure on its healthcare system. In the absence of economic and financial stability and the lack of medical equipment, supplies and medications needed to ensure a proper standard of healthcare and ensure continuity of treatment for patients, we are in need of your help.

For the reasons above, Ajialouna is appealing to anyone able to help to donate:

- in-kind medical equipment and medications and vitamin supplements; and

- online on our fundraising campaign on the YALLA GIVE Platform here.

Ajialouna will use donated funds to purchase medical equipment and medications (see examples below) from outside Lebanon (given the shortage of supplies and cases of hoarding and price gouging) and send them to Lebanon via air cargo to distribute to hospitals across the country. Medications will be dispensed from Ajialouna’s onsite pharmacy directly to emergency cases and patients in need receiving home care.

COVID-19 Essential Medical Equipment and supplies needed include (not limited to):

Respiratory Machines Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure Machine (BiPaP) Inhalers Oximeters

Medical PPEs kit (Clothing, helmets, protective eyewear, gloves, N95 masks) Ventilation Filters Flowmeters and oxygen sensors Oxygen concentrator/generator

Medications (sample list, non-exhaustive):

- Panadol

- Baby Aspirin

- Vitamin D Supplements: Ie. Euro D 10000 IU//Euro D 5000 IU

- Zinc tablets

- Vitamin C 1000 mg

- Prednisone 20 mg/40 mg

- Zithromax (Azithromycin)

- Lovenox (Enoxaparin Sodium) Injections

- Eliquis (Apixaban) tablets

- Diuretic medications

Ajialouna has already approached ARAMEX (Middle East) which has generously offered to provide its air freight service free of charge and the Higher Relief Council in Lebanon (HRC) to facilitate import efforts and distribution upon the arrival of supplies.

For more information on in-kind donations, please contact Ms. Zeina Seif on +9613 016 323, zeina.seif@ajialouna.org

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Seif and Ms. Makkawi at emaar@ajialouna.org

Stay Safe & Healthy,

The Ajialouna Team

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