American Near East Refugee Aid

The American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) is a leading American NGO focused on providing humanitarian aid to the Middle East. Since 1968, ANERA has worked in West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan. ANERA has programs in health care, education and job creation. ANERA was founded in the aftermath of the Six Day war to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Initially providing emergency relief, ANERA determined the effects of the war on Palestinian society would last well into the future and therefore began implementing projects that would establish a foundation for social and economic growth. Today, ANERA's projects improve communities and seek to address the long-term economic and social needs of Palestinians, Lebanese and Jordanians.

ANERA works closely with local institutions, such as schools, universities, health facilities, cooperatives, municipalities, grassroots communities, and charitable associations, and assist them in improving the community services they provide.

ANERA is funded by individual donors and grants from public and private institutions.

About ANERA

ANERA is a registered 501(c)3 non-governmental organization and a founding member of InterAction, a coalition of over 160 US-based non-profits working to promote worldwide development. ANERA is also registered with Global Impact, a group of 32 American charitable agencies working throughout the developing world. ANERA has offices in Washington, D.C.; Jerusalem; Gaza; Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan.

Mission Statement

"ANERA creates opportunity and hope for people in the Middle East by improving health care and education and stimulating job creation." . [ [http://www.anera.org/index.html ANERA: American Near East Refugee Aid ] ]

Core Values

ANERA views relief--alleviating suffering--and development--reducing poverty--as the beginning and end points on a continuum of human need. In helping people meet these fundamental necessities, ANERA contributes to achieving their freedom from want, which ANERA deems an essential component to peace in the Middle East.

Programs

Health and Relief: ANERA has delivered emergency relief and medical supplies to communities in the Middle East. During fiscal year 2007, contributions to ANERA's medical In-Kind Program doubled from $20 million to $43 million.

Education: ANERA helps to build new schools, offer after-school programs, train preschool teachers and principals, teach information technology, and support music education. 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 and increasing parent and community involvement in the educational process.

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. 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 and outlying Palestinian communities.

Additionally, private donations allow ANERA to sponsor children between the ages of 4 and 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 are in need of physical and rehabilitative support, and might not otherwise have opportunities to receive a regular education.

Palestinian Statistics

The challenges facing Palestinian refugees are documented by a number of international institutions, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) [http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/index.html] , the World Bank Group [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/WESTBANKGAZAEXTN/0,,menuPK:294370~pagePK:141159~piPK:141110~theSitePK:294365,00.html] and the World Health Organization [http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/wbgs/en/] . The United Nations Development Programme includes a Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People [http://www.undp.ps/en/index.html] that offers details about the economic and social situation of Palestinians in the Middle East.

Criticism

ANERA has been criticized by NGO Monitor as being politicized and biased. In 2005, ANERA spent almost $300,000 on “fundraising and public education”, showing that it does not have the sole goal of helping Palestinians. Additionally, ANERA frequently names Israel as the only cause of Palestinian hardship, ignoring the corruption of the Palestinian leadership and the large amounts of public funds it has squandered. In ANERA’s Fall 2005 newsletter, the organization asserts that it’s Playgrounds for Palestine project provides a place “where children can find a reprieve from the unforgiving reality of occupation.” [ [http://www.anera.org/newsletters/Fall05/NL_150_Fall2005.pdf] ] ANERA also ignores the context of terrorism when discussing Israeli security measures such as checkpoints and military operations. [ [http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article.php?id=769 American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera): Aid Activity Tarnished by Political Agenda ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.anera.org Official Website]