Shelter is more than just a physical structure, it is the foundation of safety, dignity, and stability for every family.”
- Jinan El-Houmayra, WASH and Shelter Manager, CARE Lebanon
When Israel intensified airstrikes across Lebanon in October 2024, thousands were displaced overnight, left without homes, security, or certainty about tomorrow. Stepping into this complex and urgent crisis was Jinan El-Houmayra, a seasoned WASH and Shelter professional who had spent years working on infrastructure and humanitarian response. She joined CARE Lebanon at a critical moment and, without hesitation, took the lead on one of the country’s most complicated emergencies.
Within weeks, Jinan had built and guided a dedicated team, quickly establishing CARE Lebanon as one of the leading agencies in shelter and WASH. Her determination goes beyond emergency relief, she is deeply committed to providing the right kind of shelter, exploring innovative, dignified, and inclusive approaches that serve not just as roofs, but as the foundations of safety and recovery.
At the heart of her work is a clear principle: shelter support must never discriminate. Jinan ensures that CARE’s interventions reach the most vulnerable, regardless of affiliation, ethnicity, or nationality—with women placed at the centre.
Shelter as Healing
Jinan recalls one powerful example from her work. Survivors of a failed sea journey, families who had sold everything to finance their escape, returned traumatized, destitute, and homeless. CARE intervened by rehabilitating unfinished houses and arranging for families to stay rent-free.
“Physically, families were no longer exposed to the elements or unsafe, overcrowded conditions. Mentally, the stability of having a private, secure space brought immense relief and restored a sense of dignity and hope,” Jinan says. “It allowed them to reconnect as a family and begin rebuilding their lives.”
Shelter as Empowerment
For women, shelter is more than four walls, it is safety, privacy, and an opening to reclaim agency. “When women are consulted and actively involved in shelter planning, it promotes their agency and ensures solutions respond to their needs,” Jinan emphasizes.
She shares an initiative that prioritized female-headed households: “We not only provided safe housing, but also trained women in basic maintenance skills and household budgeting. This gave them ownership over their homes and the confidence to advocate for their needs.”
With housing stability, women could return to work, children could go back to school, and families could finally plan for a future.
Shelter as Urgency
If she could change one thing in humanitarian response, Jinan would make shelter a first priority:
“Too often, shelter is treated as secondary. Yet without safe, dignified housing, all other forms of support are compromised.”
A Woman’s Voice for Shelter
Through her leadership, Jinan has not only strengthened CARE Lebanon’s position in the sector but also amplified the voices of the women she serves. Her commitment is simple but powerful: to restore dignity and hope for all people in need, without discrimination, while ensuring women remain at the center of every solution.
Her message is clear: when women have secure, dignified shelter, they can lead their families from crisis toward resilience.