Bire Akkar () is a small town in

Akkar Governorate Akkar Governorate () is the northernmost governorate of Lebanon. It comprises the single district of Akkar, which in turn is subdivided into 121 municipalities. The capital is at Halba. It covers an area of and is bounded by the Mediterranean ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, close to the border with

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. The population in Bire Akkar is mainly

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

History

In 1838,

Eli Smith Eli Smith (September 13, 1801 – January 11, 1857) was an American Protestant missionary and scholar. Biography Smith was born in Northford, Connecticut, to Eli and Polly (née Whitney) Smith. He graduated from Yale College in 1821 and from A ...

noted the village, whose inhabitants were

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

, located east of

esh-Sheikh Mohammed Cheikh Mohammad () is a village situated in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. Situated 400 metres above sea level, in between two mountains, it overlooks the Akkar plains and sea. It is made up of approximately 450 houses, with 99% of the population b ...

Health

Bireh Akkar has a Polish Health Service close to the main road, which received support of the Kulczyk Foundation. The health center receives funding from the Polish Aid, the donor arm of Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PCPM (Polish Center For International Aid). The funding has hekped to secured shelter for over 35,000

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

refugee families fleeing from the civil war in their country, through conditional cash assistance to cover part of the rental fees for apartments or garages. In addition to shelter, PCPM aims at providing Syrian refugees with comprehensive assistance that includes access to health care and education, as well as lifesaving assistance during the winter season. A primary health care center in Bireh, located 4km from Syrian border, coupled with a mobile clinic, caters for over 10,000 patients annually. During the winter season of 2017-18, PCPM is one of four aid agencies in Lebanon that provides Syrian refugees with cash assistance for purchase of heating oil, stoves and blankets.

Sports

The most recognizable sports in Bire Akkar are football and basketball.

References

Bibliography

External links

Bireh (Aakkar)
Localiban {{Akkar District Populated places in Akkar District Sunni Muslim communities in Lebanon