Hope beyond borders: an HRF fundraisers story about our latest Lebanon deployment

Mohammed Talhah, Fundraising Coordinator for the North at Human Relief Foundation (HRF), has returned from a life-changing humanitarian deployment in Lebanon, where he and a team of volunteers delivered vital aid to Palestinian and Syrian refugees.

The week-long visit, which took place from May 13 to May 17, brought Talhah face-to-face with some of the country’s most vulnerable communities, including residents of the historic Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp. Originally built in 1948 to house 5,000 Palestinians, the camp now holds over 40,000 people within the same limited space.

“This camp was meant to be temporary, but generations have passed and people are still living there in overcrowded, desperate conditions,” Talhah explained. “The space hasn’t grown, yet the population has multiplied.”

During the mission, Talhah and 15 volunteers - including professionals from fields as diverse as law, cybersecurity, firefighting, teaching, and nursing — visited camps and homes across southern, northern, and western Lebanon. The group distributed nearly 1,000 food packs and an equal number of fresh fruit and vegetable parcels, along with hundreds of sweets for children.

But for Talhah, the work went far beyond delivering supplies.

“Our goal wasn't just to hand out aid and leave,” he said. “We met people whose lives HRF has already changed — a cancer survivor whose treatment we funded, a young girl now thriving after receiving medical care, and a woman who regained her independence with a donated electric wheelchair.”

Talhah emphasized that the most meaningful gift the team offered was their presence.

“Many of these children have lost one or both parents. Just spending time with them — playing, talking, listening — showed them they’re not forgotten,” he said. “The joy on their faces wasn’t just from sweets or gifts. It was from knowing someone came all the way from Bradford, from the UK, to be with them.”

Despite the visible hardship, Talhah was struck by the resilience and optimism of the people he met.

“They smile through the pain. They haven’t given up hope. And that hope — that belief that life can be better — is something we must nurture, not just with donations, but with human connection.”

The deployment stands as a testament to the long-term vision of Human Relief Foundation. “It’s not about short-term fixes,” Talhah said. “It’s about restoring dignity, supporting recovery, and planting seeds of lasting change.”

Get involved! Find our more about our deployment programme.