Annual Report 2025 - Foundation Veterans for Lebanon
Introduction
The year 2026 is now almost halfway through, a good time to look back on the year 2025. We have had turbulent years, or rather Lebanon has been experiencing extreme times since the end of 2023. There is nothing less than a real war and in the event of a 'ceasefire', the main parties in this conflict, Hezbollah and Israel, continue to fight, with the impact on the entire country becoming ever greater. The damage in the south is increasing. The direct result is that more than 1.2 million Lebanese are fleeing in their own country. The geopolitical situation continues to pull Lebanon into the current conflict in the Middle East, with Israel, Iran and America as the main players.
A conflict that started in 2023 and continued with moments of calm in 2024, until the moment from the first appointment to a ceasefire. A ceasefire in which the violations continued on a large scale. With that, 2025 started 'relatively' quietly and the hope for better times in the country remained for a long time. It took even greater forms in the second half of 2025, from the moment it was announced that the new Pope Leo would go to Lebanon for a multi-day visit.
Our expectations to be able to travel and visit our projects again turned out to be impossible for a long time. The travel advice remained red. But that changed as Pope Leo's visit became more visible. More on that later in this annual report.
Was it a year of watching and waiting for us as a board? Absolutely not. The year 2025 was a dynamic and intensive year. Below is an overview of our activities and achievements in the past year.
Looking back on 2025 versus the expectation
We were very concerned about the people of Lebanon, especially about the many refugees. In this case, the Lebanese themselves. Many acquaintances from the south are still unable to return today to see the damage to their villages or their own homes.
We hoped to pursue 2 primary goals again in 2025. On the one hand, by sending an aid transport, a full container with relief supplies, to Lebanon. On the other hand, to prepare us, as a board, for a trip to visit our current projects and possibly map out new projects. Maybe plans against the odds, but we always have the hope that the situation will improve one day.
We realise that the future remains uncertain in terms of the implementation of return trips. After all, it continues to depend on the security situation. At the moment, unfortunately, we don't see trips to the south taking place anytime soon. Not only because of the fighting but also because of what can still be seen after the enormous destruction that will continue in 2026 and even more intensely. The affected area is getting bigger and the destruction more disastrous. We will have to investigate any travel options in due course for safety and feasibility.
Media attention
The conflict also generated a lot of media attention. Not the desired reason to generate attention, but with the awareness that with these media expressions we could draw attention to the population in Lebanon. And that also led to us as a Foundation receiving extra donations. Media attention therefore helps. Various reports appeared in regional newspapers and we were asked for (national) radio broadcasts. For example, there was a Sunday morning radio1 broadcast at the VPRO, live from the studio in Hilversum.
At the same time, there is still a realisation that every time the situation in Lebanon is negative, there is renewed interest in the UNIFIL deployment and UNIFIL veterans in particular. And that's a good thing.
Relief supplies to Lebanon
Sending relief goods was an important part of our activities in 2024. However, the last loaded container of November 2024 did not find its final destination in Beirut until February 2025.
In November 2024, we were finally able to send a full container of warm clothing, in addition to a large amount of medical consumables. Special about this shipment were the 90 'Sheltersuits', specially donated by the Sheltersuit Foundation. These warm suits came in handy in several places and perhaps made all the difference. The last 30 pieces were distributed to Lebanese refugees from the south last winter. The customs formalities went quite well (the import procedures themselves remain fairly unfathomable) and after 2 weeks we managed to get everything out of the port of Beirut. The goods were then quickly distributed.
In order to cover the extra costs, including transport and import costs for the recipients, we ask for continued attention and therefore also donations. We also notice that collecting funds is becoming increasingly difficult. Possibly the general situation in the world, with so many ongoing conflicts that all demand attention, is to blame. The support of the many Unifillers is a great support for us to achieve our goals.
The conclusion we made about 2024 therefore remained valid in 2025. With all the projects and transports that we realize, you can say that donations, material or financial, are well spent. We have been able to increase all these contributions at least 5 times in value. We do this by collecting desired and usable materials and linking them to projects where the items end up in complete good condition and are of added value.
The project trip in November 2025 – a hopeful moment
The preparations for the possible project trip had been ready for some time, but we had to wait for improved travel advice. At the moment we no longer expected it, the 'green light' came quite unexpectedly. In mid-October 2025, the travel advice went from red to orange. A series of telephone conversations with Lebanon followed, whether we were welcome and whether they could guide us in a positive decision to come. The travel insurance was also called to check whether the orange travel advice would not have a negative effect if we decided to travel to Lebanon. After all the lights were finally green, the booking was made. So Bert, Charles and Jeannet, together with our ICT specialist Bart Timmermans, left in mid-November for an impressive visit to current and new projects: three schools, the psychiatric clinic, the orphanage in Zahle and the fire station of the port in Beirut. The visits have all been valuable and have had a great impact on us. The gratitude of the Lebanese is great, something that remains uncomfortable to undergo. The visit to the fire station was also fraught, knowing what happened to these men in the explosion in the port in 2020, in which they lost twelve colleagues. We therefore dwelt together extensively on the monument for them in the courtyard of the barracks.
During this trip, we also tried to map out some potential new projects in consultation with our interlocutors. It should of course be noted that the realisation of this remains highly dependent on the development of the safety situation in the locations concerned. But if the situation allows that again, we can thanks to our trip last November. Switching quickly in this.
De vooruitblik naar 2026
The hope is certainly there with us too. Not against our better judgment, but mainly because we realize that help is desperately needed. Lebanon is economically ruined. There is no social safety net from the state. Subsidies from the government have been completely halted since 2021. Much is done from different faith backgrounds, where origin or religion do not matter. Fortunately.
We try to keep up to date with developments in the country through direct contacts with various acquaintances who live in many different places. In the north, south and east, and also in Beirut. Where the contacts are always warm, where expressing the hope for better times always predominated, we now often hear a different sound. People now sound more resigned, letting everything come over them and waiting, as there is no control over current events and it is difficult to predict what the future holds. To take you along as a reader of this report, we share the following app traffic with you. When we write this report at the end of May 2026, our regular driver Afif texts the following:
When asked how he and his family are doing (translated from Arabic):
"Dear Jeanet and Bert, peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. I want to tell you that the situation in Lebanon is much worse than what you see on television or Facebook. More than 80 villages in the south have been completely destroyed. This war is considered genocide, just like what happened in Gaza, but much more brutal. Nevertheless, we have not given up hope that this dirty war will stop and that we can return home. We don't even know if our houses are still there or if they have been destroyed. The situation is extremely difficult, but we pray to God for our safety. Finally, you are all my friends and loved ones. I pray to God that these difficult days will pass and that I will see you again in Lebanon. Say hello to all my friends in the Netherlands, and don't forget us in your prayers and offer all the help you can. We are now in the fourth month of this war and I am unemployed. We live a life that only God knows."
Our motivation to help never goes away. With receiving such messages, it grows.
Schalkhaar 30 May 2026
On behalf of the board of Veterans for Lebanon
Bert Kleine Schaars
Chairman of the board.
Financial report 2025
You will see a one-off item of €22,485 in 2025,-. This bundled edition has to do with later invoicing of the medical relief actions at the end of 2024. The large donations that made these expenses possible are fully recorded as income in 2024.
Budget 2026
