The Middle East Council of Churches Condemns the Dangerous Security Incidents in the Country

Ongoing Field Relief Work to Support the Displaced People

You can find some photos at the end of the text.

Lebanon is in pain... a sentence that may perfectly express what this wounded country is witnessing. A country that has been torn by conflicts and crises for several decades. In the recent days, Lebanon is witnessing a new and violent wave of dangerous security incidents which have turned into comprehensive aggression against various Lebanese regions. The scene is tragic, even catastrophic, and expresses the pain of people who have not yet recovered from their old wounds...

In fact, Lebanon is currently recording the martyrdom of thousands of citizens, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands from all its regions, especially from its South and the Bekaa to other regions due to concerns for their lives being threatened. The scenario is repeated daily amidst deteriorating humanitarian conditions, embodied by the screams of grieving mothers who are searching for a glimmer of hope from under the rubble of their destroyed homes, and the crying of children who have lost their childhood and their simplest dreams.

In the wake of the accelerating and worsening security events in Lebanon, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) issued a statement in which it strongly condemns the killing of innocent people, children, women, the elderly, and other civilians, and deplores the attacks carried out by aggressor forces on densely populated areas that have led to the death of thousands of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens from their areas. MECC said that these crimes indicate the forces of aggression's disregard for the principles of international law, the rules of the Geneva Conventions, and all conventions governing armed conflicts.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) also calls on the international community to intervene as soon as possible and issue a clear position condemning the war crimes against civilians by launching raids, and the systematic destruction of property and the interruption of food and health supplies. It also urges the provision of international protection for civilians so that organizations and associations can supply them with the necessary materials for a decent life.

In this context, MECC hastened to establish an emergency cell to monitor needs, follow up on logistical field matters, and track the situation of families displaced from their areas, standing by them both humanely and in terms of livelihood. Hence, the Council moved directly to respond to some emergency needs, as it was able, in the first stage, to secure and distribute 1100 blankets in one of the collective shelter centers in the Tyre region.

In addition, the MECC team conducted a field rapid needs assessment in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and Akkar to study the situation of the displaced people, and their needs, through cooperation with the relevant authorities and Heads of centers and municipalities. As a first step, the team contacted 18 sheltering centers in Akkar and 7 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, in addition to visiting it and coordinating with them. The Council also continues its mission in communicating with the Churches in order to get their needs and the data of the internally displaced people (IDPs) who have taken refuge in their facilities in various Lebanese regions.

The Council also extends its efforts to implement its field relief work and assist the affected people morally, psychologically, health-wise and financially. Without forgetting the media’s role regarding the humanitarian and social issues in order to shed light on the suffering of families and their demands.

In fact, the humanitarian needs have become very urgent and enormous, especially since the areas that may be considered somewhat safe are receiving daily displaced people, whose number is increasing significantly. But amid all these tragedies, what are the repercussions of displacement on host communities? Are there ways to support it in the long term?

Questions we pose for those involved!