Zeina El-Hoss, Office of Communications, communications@aub.edu.lb
In response to the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which have displaced around a million people from the South, Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, AUB students have been proactively taking part in several displacement relief initiatives across the country to support war-afflicted families.
Amongst these initiatives are NGO-led emergency relief campaigns as well as student-led efforts to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the displaced populations. While most displaced families have taken shelter in government-designated public schools, many others have set up tents along Beirut's coastal areas where they have been exposed to heavy rainstorms and cold weather since the war erupted in early March.
Operating independently, second-year business student Nijad Kalach at the Olayan School of Business (OSB), joined by Lebanese University student Zahra Nahle, resumed humanitarian action through the “Nez7in, So What?" initiative which he launched during the 2024 war on Lebanon. This collaborative effort focuses on alleviating the psychological distress felt by displaced children. Currently covering Biel and two schools in Hamra, “Nez7in So What?" hopes to restore some sense of normalcy in these children's lives through fun activities.
When this war broke out, Nijad was shocked to see the same children return to the school for refuge, but they expressed how happy they were to see him again. Nijad was particularly inspired by Nour, a little girl in a wheelchair who was watching from afar as the children played musical chairs. Nijad quickly switched the game to “Simon Says" so that Nour could join, and the smile that lit up her face gave him renewed motivation to continue this relief initiative. "Seeing a child smile amidst a crisis isn't just a distraction; it's a reminder that their childhood shouldn't have to be on hold because of a war," he says.
“Nez7in, So What?" is currently seeking donations of educational games, books, and coloring materials to help bring smiles to more faces.
Initiatives by AUB Clubs and Societies
At the Office of Student Affairs, the Student Activities Department, in close partnership with clubs and societies, has collectively shifted the focus of student activities toward humanitarian support, community service, and social impact during this ongoing crisis. Centered on service and solidarity, the department has been empowering students to play an active role in supporting those in need.
- The Education Student Society have been collecting donations and volunteering with NGOs, such as Nation Station, Offre Joie, Ahla Fawda, and MMKN.
- The UNICEF Club, in addition to cooking and packaging meals, has been making pillows to be distributed to shelters via the Pillows of Hope initiative.
- The Secular Club released the Campus Choice Relief Initiative that highlights NGOs and community organizations currently mobilizing to provide food, shelter, donations, and volunteer support.
- The Change Starts Here Club has been distributing food for shelters in North Lebanon.
- The Pre-medical Student Society has been securing food, clothes, basic hygiene products, mattresses, sleep covers, diapers, and medications to displaced families in Beirut.
- The Psychology Student Society has been
collecting donations for the displaced and connecting psychology students with organizations in need of
support.
Initiatives by AUB Medical Students and AUBMC
Under the umbrella of the Department of Family Medicine and its primary healthcare center at AUBMC, medical students, residents, and attending physicians have come together to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare for displaced populations in the Ras Beirut area. AUBMCares Clinics are being conducted in collaboration with various AUBMC departments and physicians at the Wassef and Souad Sawwaf Building and neighboring shelters.
Initiatives by Higher Education Scholarships (HES) Program Scholars
As part of their community service tasks, Higher Education Scholarships (HES) Program scholars Charbel Attieh, Jamila Abu Latifa, and Mohammad Jezzini participated among others in relief initiatives in Beirut, Bekaa, and other regions of Lebanon run by NGOs like Ahla Fawda and Al Jalil Social Welfare. They prepared and distributed food kits, organized essential supplies, hygiene items, mattresses, clothes, and toys for families sheltered in schools.
Whether implemented autonomously or through a co-creative approach, the above initiatives and many others reflect AUB community's commitment to lifting the burdens of those afflicted. Whatever the crisis—violence, tragedy, or economic meltdown—AUB students rise up in solidarity, modeling active leadership on the ground.
For more HES news about the scholars' work, check their website and social media: https://www.aub.edu.lb/hes/news/Pages/default.aspx
For stories from the Center for Community Engagement about the Humanitarian Aid Campaign, check their social media, X for example can be reachd on: https://x.com/CCE_AUB.