Saudi Gazette report

BEIRUT — Al-Amal (Hope) Bakery is a new name in a series of the welfare works adopted by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) in Lebanon to serve the poor and the needy families in the country.

Walid Bukhari, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, opened the bakery which every day distributes about 4,000 bundles of bread among about 2,000 Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian families.

"These welfare projects reflect the humanitarian dimensions of the Kingdom and its assistance which benefit our relatives and the displaced people in Akar district," the ambassador said.

He said the KSRelief will soon open a health center in Akar which will be among the most specialized and important centers in the region.

Fahd Qannas, director of the KSRelief in Lebanon, said the bakery will continue working as long as the poor families believe that it is successful.

He said the KSRelief has been supporting Lebanese families for many years without any distinction between its various regions.

Qannas said they have an open budget for providing relief to the poor Lebanese families.

"We have carried out a number of humanitarian works such as distributing food baskets and other educational and health assistance. We have established a kidney dialysis center and donated ambulance cars to a number of hospitals in the remote areas," he said.

Amal Bakery was opened in collaboration with the "White Hands" charity organization whose executive director Sheikh Luqman Al-Khidir said about 60 percent of Akar residents are living below the poverty line.

He said since 2011, the Syrian refugees have been coming to Wadi Khaled area because it is comparatively cheaper than other regions in Lebanon.

Khidir said the residents of Akar villages are famous for their kindness but the increasing number of Syrian refugees have put extra burden on their economic conditions.

He said they worked closely with the Kingdom and shared the burden of poverty with the National Saudi Campaign.

"This bakery is not giving out bread to the poor families free of charge but also providing work opportunities for 14 Syrian and Lebanese families," he said.