Free Health and Nutrition Services
There are over 850,000 registered Syrian refugees, however the United Nations estimates there are approximately 1.5 million Syrians living in Lebanon, meaning that hundreds of thousands are not able to work legally or access services and are vulnerable to exploitation, detention or deportation.
It’s reported that about 90% of Syrian refugee households live in extreme poverty.
According to the United Nations, Syrian refugee families are surviving on about $36 USD a month and this number is shrinking with each day that passes.
Mercy-USA is providing free healthcare and nutrition support to extremely poor families. We screen mothers and children for malnutrition and provide free health and nutrition support, including prenatal care for pregnant moms.
We can stop malnutrition before it starts if you will help us.
Please donate today!
Baby Hanaa’s Nutrition Success Story
When Mercy-USA community health and nutrition workers examined 6-month old Hanaa, she was found to be suffering with acute moderate malnutrition.
Hanaa was admitted into our nutrition program and given a month of PlumpySup therapeutic feeding supplements.
Her mother, Ayesha was counseled on feeding strategies for an infant at six months. She said, “This program helped me improve and change my feeding practices. I thought that my breast milk would be enough for Hanaa even at her age, but she was not gaining weight. The Mercy-USA Infant and Young Child Feeding counselors at the clinic taught me how to introduce complementary feeding into her routine. They gave me advice on the amount, texture and quantity of food I should be introducing to Hanaa. Now my baby girl is active, chubby and loves to eat what I give her!”
Early intervention in malnutrition saves lives, but also builds a healthier society for the future. Moderate to severe malnutrition during infancy is associated with a significantly elevated incidence of impaired IQ in adulthood. Hanaa can grow up happy, engaged in learning and be less vulnerable to illness now that her mother has the tools to keep her fed.