American Near East Refugee Aid

Last updated
Anera
Formation1968
Type 501(c)(3)
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Area served
West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan
Key people
Sean Carroll (President & CEO)
Revenue
$69,885,896
Website www.anera.org

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) is an American 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization that provides humanitarian and development aid to the Middle East, specifically the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan. Founded in 1968 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War, Anera initially sought to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians by providing emergency relief. While still providing crisis response, Anera now also addresses the long-term economic and social needs of Palestinians, Lebanese and Jordanians through its health care, education, and job creation programs.

Contents

The largest American NGO operating in the West Bank and Gaza, [1] Anera works closely with local institutions, such as schools, universities, health facilities, cooperatives, municipalities, grassroots communities, and charitable associations. [2] Anera is funded by individual donors and grants from public and private institutions. [3]

Programs and activities

Through its programs that alleviate suffering and reduce poverty, Anera works to help people meet their fundamental necessities. [4] Through both large-scale projects like building reservoirs and smaller projects like installing water tanks on the tops of homes, [5] Anera has many programs that meet people's immediate needs and provide jobs at the same time. [6] In 2011, Anera provided more than $65 million worth of programs to the people of the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan. [7] In 2020, Anera provided over $100.4 million in programs. [8] Historically, the organization has worked with regional governments to help address needs in times of crisis. [9] [10]

Health and relief

Anera has delivered emergency relief and medical supplies to communities in the Middle East. Anera has built 177 water cisterns and is building or repairing water networks and pipelines in the West Bank and Gaza. [6]

Education

Anera helps to build new schools, offer after-school programs, train preschool teachers and principals, teach information technology, and support music education. [11] During fiscal year 2007, Anera expanded its Gaza-based preschool teacher-training project to provide employment opportunities for skilled women while developing organizational skills, active learning techniques and communications skills among children.

Community and economic development

Anera offers community assistance in the form of infrastructure projects and job training programs to help people become entrepreneurs with access to small business loans and job opportunities. [12] During fiscal year 2007, Anera's Emergency Water and Sanitation Project received nearly $4 million in grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development to respond to emergency water and sanitation needs in the West Bank and Gaza, and create short-term employment opportunities for impoverished Palestinian communities.

Anera's sponsors children between the ages of 4-17 to receive an education in one of seven schools in Lebanon, Gaza, or the West Bank. Students who participate in the scholarship program are orphans, come from impoverished households or require physical and rehabilitative support.

Sarra water project

In February 2008, Anera partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a project to install an internal water network in the village of Sarra in the West Bank. According to the USAID press release, the project "will ensure access to a reliable water supply ... [and will be] funded by USAID and implemented by Anera. The total cost of the project is $255,000 and is anticipated to generate 1,800 days of employment." [13]

Gaza Food Security Program

Since 2010, the Gaza Food Security Program has constructed over 1,100 greenhouses in Gaza to improve healthy food access and increase the household income of marginalized and food-insecure families. [14]

2023-24 Israel-Hamas War

On November 16, 2023, Palestine Children's Relief Fund awarded Anera, in partnership with World Central Kitchen, a $1.5 million grant to provide hot meals for distribution to displaced individuals in Gaza during the Israel–Hamas war. [15] During the 2023-24 humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Anera provided millions of hot meals and other humanitarian aid supplies to civilians throughout the strip. [16] On March 8th, 2024, Anera's logistics coordinator, Mousa Shawwa, was killed by an Israeli airstrike. [17] After seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers were killed by Israeli airstrikes on April 1st, 2024, Anera deemed it unsafe for its workers to provide humanitarian aid and paused its ground operations in Gaza as of April 2. [18] On April 11, the organization's chief executive, Sean Carroll, informed The New York Times that relief operations were resuming, with assurance from the IDF that it would take measures to protect the workers. [19]

Ratings

Anera is rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities' fiscal management. [20] The organization meets all twenty Better Business Bureau standards for charity accountability. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaza Strip</span> Self-governing Palestinian territory next to Egypt and Israel

The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a polity and the smaller of the two Palestinian territories. On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNRWA</span> United Nations agency to support Palestinian refugees

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the Nakba, the 1948 Palestine War, and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli–Palestinian conflict</span> Ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant

The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, the permit regime, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.

Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine, and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country over the course of the 1947–1949 Palestine war and the Six-Day War. Most Palestinian refugees live in or near 68 Palestinian refugee camps across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In 2019 more than 5.6 million Palestinian refugees were registered with the United Nations.

Camps are set up by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to accommodate Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War or in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, and their patrilineal descendants. There are 68 Palestinian refugee camps, 58 official and 10 unofficial, ten of which were established after the Six-Day War while the others were established in 1948 to 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine Children's Relief Fund</span> American non-profit organization

The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-governmental organization established in 1991, by, according to its website, "concerned people in the U.S. to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East." The main objective of the PCRF is to locate in the United States and Europe free medical care for children who cannot be adequately treated in the Middle East. Since 1991, tens of thousands of young people have received medical treatment through the PCRF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical Aid for Palestinians</span> British medical charity benefiting Palestine

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a British charity that offers medical services in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, and advocates for Palestinians' rights to health and dignity. It is in special consultative status with ECOSOC since 2002.

International aid has been provided to Palestinians since at least the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The Palestinians view the aid as keeping the Israeli–Palestinian peace process going, while Israelis and other foreign policy authorities have raised concerns that it is used to fund terrorism and removes the imperative for Palestinians to negotiate a settlement of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. As a provision of the Oslo Accords, international aid was to be provided to the Palestinians to ensure economic solvency for the Palestinian National Authority (PA). In 2004, it was reported that the PA, within the West Bank and Gaza Strip, receives one of the highest levels of aid in the world. In 2006, economic sanctions and other measures were taken by several countries against the PA, including suspension of international aid following Hamas' victory at the Palestinian Legislative Council election. Aid to the PA resumed in 2008 following the Annapolis Conference, where Hamas was not invited. Aid has been provided to the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian non-governmental organizations (PNGOs) as well as Palestinian political factions by various foreign governments, international organizations, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and charities, besides other sources.

The water resources of Palestine are de facto fully controlled by Israel, and the division of groundwater is subject to provisions in the Oslo II Accord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Gaza Strip</span>

The economy of the Gaza Strip was dependent on small industries and agriculture. After years of decline, the Gaza economy experienced some growth in the late 2000s, boosted by foreign aid. According to the International Monetary Fund, the economy grew 20 percent in 2011, and the per capita gross domestic product increased by 19 percent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenin refugee camp</span> Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank

The Jenin refugee camp, also known as the Jenin camp, is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. It was established in 1953 to house Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes by Israeli forces during and in the aftermath of the 1948 Palestine War. The camp has since become a stronghold of Palestinian militants and has become known as "the martyr's capital" by Palestinians, and "the hornets' nest" by Israelis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Lazzarini</span> Swiss-Italian humanitarian

Philippe Lazzarini is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has served as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Central Kitchen</span> Not-for-profit NGO providing disaster food aid

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that provides food relief. It was founded in 2010 by Spanish American chef and restaurateur José Andrés following the earthquake in Haiti, and has subsequently responded to Hurricane Harvey, the 2018 lower Puna eruption, 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, and the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan–Palestine relations</span> Bilateral relations

Jordan–Palestine relations are strong, historical, bilateral relations.

The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.

Events in 2023 in the Palestinian territories.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Wikipedia articles available about the Israel–Hamas war. It is an evolving list.

More than 685 health workers have been killed and 900 wounded during attacks on medical facilities and medical transport in the Israel-Hamas War. Although the injuries happened both on the Israeli side and on the Palestinian side, most of these attacks were carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians.

The World Central Kitchen drone strikes occurred on 1 April 2024, when Israeli drones targeted a three-car convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in the Gaza Strip, killing seven aid workers. The attack occurred despite the WCK having coordinated their route with the Israeli military, which both parties have acknowledged. The workers had been overseeing the transfer of a shipment of food from a makeshift pier to a warehouse some distance away in the northern Gaza Strip, which has been pushed close to famine by Israel's invasion and blockade during the Israel–Hamas war.

References

  1. ↑ Zachary Wales and Delinda Hanley (January–February 2009). "Waging Peace: HCEF's 10th International Conference". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  2. ↑ Sullivan, Denis J. (1996-04-01). "NGOs in Palestine: Agents of Development and Foundation of Civil Society". Journal of Palestine Studies. 25 (3): 93–100. doi:10.2307/2538262. ISSN   0377-919X. JSTOR   2538262.
  3. ↑ Coles, Roberta (1988). "Economic Development in the Occupied Territories". American-Arab Affairs. 25. Archived from the original on 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Palestinian Refugee Relief, Palestinian Humanitarian Aid, Palestinian Refugee Aid". ANERA. Archived from the original on 2011-05-29. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  5. ↑ Sbeih, Mohammed Yousef (2004). Stephenson, D.; Chaoka, T. R.; Shemang, E. M. (eds.). Water Resources of Arid Areas Proceedings of the International Conference on Water Resources of Arid and Semi Arid Regions of Africa. London, United Kingdom: CRC Press. p. 250.
  6. 1 2 Delinda C. Hanley (December 2008). "Human Rights: Anera Celebrates 40th Anniversary". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Archived from the original on 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
  7. ↑ Heather Yamour (December 24, 2011). "Kuwait donates 1 million to support Gaza preschool children". Kuwait News Agency . Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  8. ↑ "Charity Navigator - Rating for Anera". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  9. ↑ Richardson, John P. (1974-01-01). "Arab Civilians and the October War". Journal of Palestine Studies. 3 (2): 122–129. doi:10.2307/2535804. ISSN   0377-919X. JSTOR   2535804.
  10. ↑ Ekin, Larry (1979). "US Voluntary Agencies Hassled by Israelis in Territories". MERIP Reports (83): 18–22. doi:10.2307/3012397. JSTOR   3012397. Archived from the original on 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  11. ↑ Kidder, Rushworth M. (2006-05-01). Goodman, Michael (ed.). "Businesses for Middle East peace-building: a framework for engagement". Journal of Business Strategy. 27 (3): 30–37. doi:10.1108/02756660610663808. ISSN   0275-6668.
  12. ↑ Jabbar, Sinaria Abdel; Zaza, Haidar Ibrahim (2016-07-02). "Evaluating a vocational training program for women refugees at the Zaatari camp in Jordan: women empowerment: a journey and not an output". International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. 21 (3): 304–319. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2015.1077716 . ISSN   0267-3843. S2CID   155152743.
  13. ↑ "USAID and ANERA Launch a Project to Install Water Network in Sarra". USAID. 19 February 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  14. ↑ "Greenhouses Make a Difference for Families in Gaza". Anera. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  15. ↑ "PCRF joins Anera and WCK to Partner on Gaza Crisis Response". Anera. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  16. ↑ "Gaza and West Bank Response Log". Anera. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ "US NGO Worker Killed in Israeli Airstrike". Anera. Mar 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Anera is Pausing Operations Amid Rising Threats and Attack on WCK". Anera. April 2, 2024.
  19. ↑ Kim, Victoria (2024-04-12). "The relief organization Anera says it is resuming operations in Gaza". The New York Times . Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  20. ↑ "American Near East Refugee Aid". Charity Navigator. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  21. ↑ "Report: American Near East Refugee Aid". Better Business Bureau. March 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.