NGO Post - ANERA

  American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) was founded in 1968 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. Founded by Americans, it sought to provide emergency relief (food, medicine, etc.) to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon. Over the years, the focus of the organization became less on immediate aid and more on long term development.

The primary aim of ANERA is to reduce poverty and improve the overall standards of living in underserved communities in the Middle East. While it continues to provide emergency aid during times of heightened conflict, the organization mainly works to improve access to healthcare, education, clean drinking water, as well as economic opportunity. The overarching goal is to promote self reliance amongst the communities the organization works with.

ANERA carries out its aims through several different relief and community development programs. These include donating medical supplies, construction, rehabilitating schools, improving water and sanitation systems, and also providing job training. ANERA also works with other local NGOs and community organizations to maximize productivity.

ANERA is international in that it is headquartered in Washington D.C.. It also of course has several regional offices in the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. This allows the organization to operate on a local level, directly with the people it’s serving, while also maintaining administrative and fundraising operations in the U.S..

While the entire entity is able to operate internationally, the organization is very much decentralized, and each field office works semi-independently and locally in order to suit the needs of the people it works with. Although of course there is communication between the different field offices and the U.S. headquarters.

Unlike many other NGOs, ANERA does not have a formal membership base. The organization is instead composed of local partners, volunteers, and an expansive network of donors. Most of ANERA’s workforce is hired locally where it operates, which also strengthens its ties to the community it serves.

ANERA is seen as effective and it has been operating in the region for decades. It has a long track record of delivering crucial humanitarian aid, and it maintains connections with many other NGOs and humanitarian groups.

ANERA receives funding from several sources, including individual donors, private foundations, corporations, as well as government grants. A significant portion of its funding comes from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as other international institutions. This wide reach of funding sources has allowed ANERA to operate for as long as it has been.