Lebanon on brink of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’, Christians warn

The humanitarian needs in Gaza and Lebanon have reached dire proportions as violence escalates within the Middle East, Christian groups have warned.

Tearfund said that Lebanon is struggling to address the size of need, with some 90,000 people displaced from their homes and essential infrastructure crippled by Israeli airstrikes.

The conflict has only worsened the challenges in Lebanon, which has already been grappling with political and economic turmoil since 2019.

Safa Hijazeen, Tearfund’s Regional Director for the Middle East, said that this 12 months’s olive harvest has been worn out, and that toxic remnants from the bombs will render the bottom unsafe to grow on for no less than one other 10 years.

“People in Lebanon are terrified and confused, waiting for death and destruction to reach. Lebanon was already on the snapping point; now it’s heading towards a humanitarian catastrophe,” he said. 

“Families in Lebanon are normalising war, it’s their day by day bread now. Tens of 1000’s of youngsters are missing school because it is not protected to exit – as an alternative they’re learning to inform the difference between a sonic bomb or one other variety of missile overhead.

“The impact of the airstrikes in Lebanon will last for a generation.” 

Tearfund has relaunched its Middle East appeal to support local partners, including churches, as they supply shelter, medicine and meals to displaced people. 

“A 12 months after the October 7 attacks, the necessity in Gaza is immense and Lebanon stands on the point of disaster,” Hijazeen added. 

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is providing food parcels and medical aid to Christian communities in Lebanon. Sister Maya El Beaino of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary has remained with the Christian community in Aid Ebel, around three miles from the Israeli border in southern Lebanon. 

She said the realm is home to around 9,000 Christians who live in “constant danger”. 

“There isn’t any hospital in the realm, no Red Cross, and we have now only three hours of electricity a day. That means no web, no water,” she said. 

“It’s true that many left the region firstly of the Gaza war, but many families have returned because life in Beirut was too expensive, they usually couldn’t bear the separation from their religious leaders.”

Sister Mary, who’s the one member of her congregation remaining within the convent, described the situation as “simply terrible”. 

“People are still carrying trauma from the war in 2006, and now there’s fear that bridges and roads will likely be bombed again,” she said. 

Joshua Youssef, head of Help The Persecuted, said that Lebanon was facing needs “on an unprecedented scale”. Help the Persecuted is providing shelter, food and pastoral support through its War Refuge Centre. It also runs a network of protected houses which it said are expected to be completely full in the approaching days.

“One million persons are fleeing the war, and the necessity is vast and urgent,” he said. 

Christian Aid’s Middle East lead, Julie Mehigan, expects to see “massive” displacement and civilian casualties in Lebanon. 

“All the while Gaza is continually being bombed from land, air and sea. We are on the precipice of yet one more humanitarian calamity within the region,” she said.