Want to Learn More about the Church’s Healthcare Efforts?
In 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was involved in many healthcare and mobility projects around the world. Click the button below to learn more.
In 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worked to address needs throughout the Middle East, including support for critical projects focusing on healthcare, food security, and housing in places such as Lebanon, Sudan, and Yemen. In addition, the Church collaborated with multiple international relief agencies in Gaza and Israel to provide medical and mental health support and food, water, and hygiene items for internally displaced individuals.
Health Care
In early 2024, the Church donated more than one thousand wheelchairs to the Al Hussein Society in Jordan, including 300 specialized pediatric wheelchairs. With this donation, the Al Hussein Society also trained staff to teach parents how to use and maintain the equipment, giving their children new freedom.
In Pakistan and Yemen, Church contributions helped UNICEF and other organizations increase vaccinations, particularly for maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), which claims thousands of lives each year. Elsewhere, the Church funded the reopening of an eye clinic in Beirut, giving the gift of sight to those in need.
Additionally, the new Nursing and Midwifery Development Centre in Kurdistan officially opened in January 2024, thanks to the combined efforts of the Church, the Kurdistan government, and the vision of the center’s director. The center will train up to 7,000 nurses and midwives annually, equipping them better to help newborns survive.
Support for Vulnerable Populations
Many thousands have been forced to flee their homes and find refuge elsewhere, with women and children being particularly affected in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. The Church seeks to alleviate the suffering of displaced persons by donating to relief programs and assisting initiatives that empower these individuals.
For example, the Church donated 150 milk sheep to Al Jahuth to create a farm in Jordan. This farm trains locals in dairy product creation and generates income to support displaced people in resettlement camps. The Church also collaborated with Rahma Worldwide in Lebanon, the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, and other organizations to offer urgent food support to vulnerable populations.
Supporting Healthy and Safe Pregnancies
In Yemen, Arwein worried when she found out she was pregnant. “I know of a woman in my neighborhood who lost her first child during delivery . . . [She and her husband] lost the baby because the local midwife used contaminated tools during childbirth,” she said.
As part of its efforts to care for women and children, the Church collaborated with UNICEF to bring immunizations to women like Arwein so they could have safe and healthy births. Thankfully, she received a tetanus vaccination from this collaboration, and her baby son was born healthy and happy.
What Can I Do?
- Volunteer at a resettlement center that helps displaced people in your community.
- Learn more about your local area’s health-care needs and how you can assist.
- Take a self-reliance course and share what you learn with your community.
Learn More About the Church’s Humanitarian Work in the Middle East in 2024
Church Support Helps Displaced Families in Lebanon
A joint effort by the Church and URDA brings relief and support to those affected by crisis.
Latter-day Saints and Maronite General Council Rebuild Beirut’s Eye Clinic
Four years after a massive explosion at the Port of Beirut claimed more than 200 lives, injured more than 6,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless, efforts to rebuild the city of Beirut continue.
Church-Supported Nursing Training Center Opens in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region
The Church of Jesus Christ helps transform vision into reality with new training center for nurses and midwives in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The Church of Jesus Christ Donates Specialized Pediatric Wheelchairs to Jordanian Children
See how the Church supports mobility efforts in the Middle East.
How the Church of Jesus Christ Is Helping Displaced Women and Children in Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan
The Church gives US$6 million to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help displaced women and children.
Latter-day Saints Join with Sikhs to Serve in Dubai
An annual tradition in the United Arab Emirates brings two faith communities together to serve.