American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides relief to refugees and other disadvantaged populations in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Jordan. The group acts as a grantmaker to many Middle Eastern aid groups and construction companies, mainly in the Palestinian territories.

Background

American Near East Refugee Aid was founded in 1968 in response to the fallout of the 1967 Six Day War which displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the Palestinian territories. It was started by a number of American activists, including Jim Sams and his wife Betty, who conceived of the group, and John Davis who worked as ANERA’s first president. ^{1 2}

It provided grants to educational and job training institutes during the first few years of its existence, such as the Arab Women’s Unions and Red Crescent Societies. During the 1970s, ANERA donated equipment to local educational groups such as the Al-Bir Society in Jericho. It continued its education funding and increased its spending on poverty, agriculture, hospitals, and related aid programs throughout the following decades. ³

Activities

American Near East Refugee Aid funds and facilities health care facilities like clinics and hospitals, educational efforts, agricultural projects, water and sanitation infrastructure, and food care packages to displaced peoples in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan, and related areas. It claims to assist refugees who have relocated to Lebanon, as well as people in Gaza and neighboring cities. ⁴

In the early 2000s, ANERA started a number of projects. One such project was the MARAM Program launched with funding from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a healthcare initiative that provided training, public health awareness, and equipment to hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza. Another was its Community Services Program, operating in Gaza and the Jordan valley with a $5.1 million budget from USAID. ⁵

In 2002 it provided food and goods to people in Jenin, Bethlehem, Hebron, Gaza, and other Palestinian communities during the Second Intifada, and in 2007 it began providing relief to Iraqi refugees as well as aid to refugee centers in Lebanon. ⁶

In 2009, ANERA self-reports to have distributed $4 million in medicine and healthcare munitions to hospitals in Gaza as well $1.4 million in food to citizens in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City. ⁷

From 2013 to 2018, ANERA worked on the Palestinian Community Infrastructure Development Program (PCID), a water and sanitation facility construction project made possible by USAID funds. ⁸

Controversy

A 2005 report by online watchdog group NGO monitor claimed that ANERA allegedly claiming that Israel is the cause of all humanitarian suffering and poverty in the region while, “erasing any Palestinian responsibility for their condition,” ⁹ as well as downplaying, “the context of terrorism and promote the Palestinian narrative while falsely claiming to work with “all people living in impoverished communities.” ¹⁰

In 2007, the United States Congress launched an investigation into ANERA allegedly using U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds towards building an information center on the campus of the terrorist-tied Islamic University located in the Gaza Strip. ¹¹

A 2017 report written by the Israel Law Center, an Israeli legal organization, alleged that between 2015 and 2016 ANERA transferred millions in aid from USAID towards welfare and education institutions run by terrorist organizations Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. According to the report’s author Shurat HaDin, USAID gave roughly $28 million in aid towards ANERA in 2015 and additional $24.55 million in 2016. The report continues by claiming the money also went towards the construction of a mosque designated for, “terrorist incitement,” ¹² as well as a Kindergarten facility where students would be allegedly taught how to, ” simulate conducting kidnappings and rocket attacks against Israel.” ¹³

It was previously reported that ANERA had been one of several organizations providing support to the Unlimited Friends Association (UFA), a Gaza-based community group that has praised the terrorist organization Hamas while calling to support, “the families of martyrs and prisoners.” ¹⁴ UFA director Jomaa Khadoura previously posted online calling for Jerusalem to be cleansed of, “the impurity of the Jews,” ¹⁵ while the Facebook page for UAF allegedly posted support for the, “heroic prisoners in the Nazi Zionist jails.” ¹⁶

In December 2023, Taylor Swift was reportedly one of several Hollywood celebrities that attended a comedy show hosted by stand-up comedian Ramy Yousef at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Youseff previously stated that the proceeds from his Brooklyn-based show, “More Feelings,” along with other engagements in San Francisco, Berlin, and Paris; would go towards supporting ANERA. In response, conservative talkshow host Megan Kelly claimed on her show that Taylor Swift, “owes Israelis and Jewish Americans an apology” ¹⁷ while calling for a boycott of the singer’s events by stating, “I hope they boycott her events until she issues it…because attending this thing was wrong…do some Googling. See what they do in Gaza to gays. See about women’s rights in Gaza.” ¹⁸

Funding

American Near East Refugee Aid’s donors and partners include Americares, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), the Catalyst Foundation for Universal Education, Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), Direct Relief, Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), Islamic Relief USA, Muslim Aid USA (MAUSA), Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), Penny Appeal USA, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and World Central Kitchen. ¹⁹

In 2019, ANERA reported a revenue of $100,306,038 and expenses of $98,190,337, with $16,581,679 left over in assets. ²⁰ It paid multiple independent contractors for services that year, including Brothers Company for Contracting in the Palestinian city of Nablus ($1,057,894), Sari Brothers Contracting and Construction in Jerusalem ($427,810), and Arab Brothers Construction and Infrastructure in Sanjar-Doura ($340,369). ²¹

Leadership

As of 2023, the president and CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid was Sean Carroll, a former employee of Creative Associates International, USAID, the Club of Madrid, the UN World Food Programme, and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). ²²

The country director for Lebanon was Samar El-Yassir, a former representative of Diakonia, a faith-based humanitarian Swedish organization, and an affiliate of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and IMPACT. ²³

The country director for the Palestinian territories was Sandra Rasheed, a former employee of MA’AN Development Center, Carter Center, and Save the Children who has worked with USAID, the European Union (EU), and other donors. ²⁴

1. “About ANERA.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/#history.
2. “History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
3. “History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
4. “What We Do – Emergency.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/what-we-do/emergency/.
5. “Who We Are – History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
6. “Who We Are – History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
7. “Who We Are – History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
8. “Who We Are – History.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/history/.
9. “American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera): Aid Activity Tarnished by Political Agenda.” NGO Monitor, November 25, 2005. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/reports/_american_near_east_refugee_aid_anera_aid_activity_tarnished_by_political_agenda_/
10. “American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera): Aid Activity Tarnished by Political Agenda.” NGO Monitor, November 25, 2005. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/reports/_american_near_east_refugee_aid_anera_aid_activity_tarnished_by_political_agenda_/
11. “Congress investigates ANERA (USAID’s) support for Gaza University with links to terrorism.” NGO Monitoring, March 20, 2007. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/reports/congress_investigates_anera_usaid_s_support_for_gaza_university_with_links_to_terrorism/
12. Algemeiner Staff. “Report: US Taxpayer Dollars Ending Up in Hands of Gaza Terror Groups Via American Aid NGO.” The Algemeiner, February 15, 2017. https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/02/15/report-us-taxpayer-dollars-ending-up-in-hands-of-gaza-terror-groups-via-american-aid-ngo/
13. Algemeiner Staff. “Report: US Taxpayer Dollars Ending Up in Hands of Gaza Terror Groups Via American Aid NGO.” The Algemeiner, February 15, 2017. https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/02/15/report-us-taxpayer-dollars-ending-up-in-hands-of-gaza-terror-groups-via-american-aid-ngo/
14. Westrop, Sam. “Western Backed Terror Charities Defend Killings.” Middle East Forum, October 10, 2023. https://www.meforum.org/64972/western-backed-terror-charities-defend-killings
15. Westrop, Sam. “Western Backed Terror Charities Defend Killings.” Middle East Forum, October 10, 2023. https://www.meforum.org/64972/western-backed-terror-charities-defend-killings
16. Westrop, Sam. “Western Backed Terror Charities Defend Killings.” Middle East Forum, October 10, 2023. https://www.meforum.org/64972/western-backed-terror-charities-defend-killings
17. Wong, Curtis M. “Megyn Kelly Calls For Boycott Of Taylor Swift After Singer Attends Gaza Relief Comedy Show.” Yahoo News, December 14, 2023. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/megyn-kelly-calls-boycott-taylor-002456744.html
18. Wong, Curtis M. “Megyn Kelly Calls For Boycott Of Taylor Swift After Singer Attends Gaza Relief Comedy Show.” Yahoo News, December 14, 2023. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/megyn-kelly-calls-boycott-taylor-002456744.html
19. “About ANERA – Who We Are.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/who-we-are/.
20. Return from Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). ANERA. Accessed March 25, 2023. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
21. Return from Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). ANERA. Part VII, Section B. – Independent Contractors.
22. “Staff Leadership.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/staff-leadership-bios/#president.
23. “Staff Leadership.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/staff-leadership-bios/#president.
24. “Staff Leadership.” ANERA.org. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.anera.org/staff-leadership-bios/#president.