As the acute impacts of the August 4th Beirut explosion become apparent, local and national women-led organisations across Lebanon are leading efforts to ensure that affected communities have their urgent needs met and rights upheld.

Dr Olfat Mahmoud, General Director of the Women’s Humanitarian Organisation in Beirut, shared her experience of the explosion, and the challenges she wants to see addressed through the response.

Dr Olfat Mahmoud is the General Director of the Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organisation – an organisation working alongside Palestinian refugees in camps in Lebanon, with a focus on women and children. This World Refugee Day Dr Mahmoud shares her reflections on how the world sees refugees, her experience as a refugee, and calls for change in the humanitarian system.

Urmila Shrestha is Executive Director of Tewa Women’s Fund, a Nepalese women’s rights organisation whose mission is to develop community philanthropy. Tewa provides grants to women’s groups throughout Nepal, raises funds locally with volunteers, and does capacity building of human resources in Nepal.