Volunteers heading to Lebanon on mission to help refugees

A group of Tayside volunteers are heading to Lebanon next month on a special aid mission aimed at helping refugees.

Project co-ordinator Vali Hussein will head up a team of six travelling from Dundee to the Arabic country on November 2.

The aim of the mission is to help women and children who have been impacted by the civil war in Syria.

Vali said: “Lebanon has become a hub for refugees since the beginning of the conflict in Syria.

“Some of the areas we go to are quite run-down and the conditions are quite bad.”

During the week-long trip, the team will be helping vulnerable families as well as opening a new orphanage funded by donations from the City of Discovery.

Vali said: “We have had donations from mosques in Dundee as well as from other cities.

“We will be keeping people updated on social media while we are there.

“We are planning to live stream the opening of the orphanage on Facebook.”

Vali said it was important to remember that anyone can find themselves in hard times, regardless of their background.

He said: “Some of the refugees who have come to Lebanon came from well-to-do families in Syria before the war.

“They’ve come from a life where they had comfort, food and warmth.

“It shows that under certain circumstances, people can end up needing help.

“We want to help people all over the world.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the aid mission should visit the World Care Foundation Dundee Justgiving page.