The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate rapidly. Since the end of February, with the renewed escalation of the conflict in the region, southern Lebanon has once again become a war zone . Successive bombings have hit various areas of the country and forced tens of thousands of people to abandon their homes .
As always happens in these tragedies, the most vulnerable are the first to suffer : children, the elderly, the sick… At this moment, there are hundreds dead and thousands of innocent people caught in the middle of a conflict they did not choose. Today, more than 750,000 people are displaced in Lebanon . In a country with fewer than 6 million inhabitants , this means that 1 in 6 people has been forced to flee .
An example of this is what is happening in the village of Alma Sha’d, located just 2 km from the border with Israel. Before the conflict, this village had about 350 inhabitants. Today, it has just over 100 people, including children, adults and the elderly. However, both here and in other villages and towns in the region, many families still remain in their homes, fearing that if they leave, they may never be able to return.
Fr Maroun Youssef Ghafari, the Maronite parish priest of Alma on the border with Israel
These have been challenging days for the courage of Christians, priests, and nuns living in Lebanon. This is the case of Father Maroun Ghafari, parish priest in Alma Sha’b, who decided to remain with his community despite the danger. “We will stay, despite the war,” he tells us.
This priest has already mourned the death of his own brother, Sami Ghafari, 70, who was killed on March 8th while at home in the village where he lived, and the following day he also received news of the death of his friend, Father Pierre al-Raï, who died in a bombing while trying to help victims of a previous attack in the village of Qlayaa.
Losing a Lebanese citizen who loved his village, who had nothing to do with the conflict and who, moreover, was my brother, has left us immersed in profound sadness. War brings nothing but destruction, death and displacement. We trust in divine Providence and the intercession of the Virgin Mary, our protector,” Father Maroun Ghafari tells us bitterly.
In his general audience on March 11 , Pope Leo XIV paid homage to the priest:
“A true shepherd, who always remained by the side of his people, with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.” And he asked for prayers for peace in the Middle East. “Let us pray to the Lord that his shed blood may be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”
Displaced family from Deir Mimas, a Christian village in the South, who found shelter in an apartment in Beirut. There are 13 people there from the same family.
Christians in Lebanon live with apprehension, but are determined to keep the Christian presence alive in the region. Your help is urgently needed. But while some communities remain in their villages, thousands of families have already been forced to flee and have lost almost everything. There are people on the streets—children, the elderly, the sick—who have become homeless overnight.
The local Church is trying to respond to this humanitarian crisis and continues to open parishes, convents, and community centers to welcome these displaced people and offer them basic assistance. But the Church in Lebanon does not have the means to help this entire avalanche of people in need. The Church in Lebanon needs our help.
With your support , the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) can:
✓ Provide food to displaced families
✓ Distribute clothing and hygiene products to the most vulnerable
✓ Support schools, parishes, and Christian communities that continue to help the people
Help the Christians of Lebanon.
