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We had to flee our home in a hurry and in the middle of the night. I am with my
husband, our children, my brother and my mother who has diabetes and nerve issues
and we are literally on the street. We fled wherever we were able to and we took
refuge in a wild space and there is nowhere to sit or sleep. I beg you if you can help us
find a home. The children have been out in the streets for almost an entire day.”
— A Lebanese mother of three displaced by the violence
A sharp rise in violence over recent months has worsened humanitarian conditions throughout the Middle East. Large-scale airstrikes on 8 April, combined with sustained military operations in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s suburbs, have kept the country in a state of active conflict. Since early March, more than 2,000 people have been killed.
On 17 April, after forty-six days of relentless violence, a temporary ceasefire finally gave the people of Lebanon what they had been longing for: a breath of hope. We believe this is a moment to give thanks and to pray that lasting peace would follow.
While we hold onto the hope that the ceasefire brings, airstrikes have continued in parts of Lebanon. The reality on the ground calls us to continued action. At least 1.2 million people across Lebanon are still displaced, with more than 140,000 living in shelters, a sobering reminder that our work is far from finished. Many have fled their homes more than once and shelters are stretched well beyond capacity as essential services are buckling under the pressure of a crisis. The need for food, clean water, shelter and medical care remains urgent and growing.
As the hands and feet of Christ in this moment, World Relief remains fully committed to reaching those most affected with life-saving assistance and the compassionate presence they deserve.
WORLD RELIEF RESPONDS
With needs mounting across the region, World Relief determined that a strategic and focused
response in Lebanon would position us for the greatest impact. That has proven to be true as our established network of local churches and Christian NGOs has provided a unique foundation to move quickly, reaching deeply into communities and delivering aid where it is needed most.
Together, we are coordinating emergency relief for displaced families and children, with local church congregations identifying at-risk households, mobilizing volunteers and ensuring assistance reaches people with both efficiency and care. Our partners include:
MERATH: Through its extensive network of local church partners in Lebanon, MERATH is supporting conflict-affected households by distributing blankets, mattresses, hygiene kits, clothing and essential items such as diapers and feminine supplies.
Middle East and North Africa Evangelical Alliance (MENA EA): Drawing on more than thirty years of presence in the region, MENA EA is mounting a direct response to the current crisis: delivering food, hygiene supplies, shelter materials, heating support and medical care, including
medications for chronically ill patients. Their efforts are deliberately focused on those least able to weather the crisis: displaced families, children, the elderly and individuals with urgent medical needs.
Heart for Lebanon: Serving Lebanese communities since 2006, Heart for Lebanon has partnered with eight local evangelical churches to provide food assistance, bedding and hygiene items. In the past month, 637 emergency food packages were distributed, impacting 3,800 individuals. In addition to facilitating food and aid distributions, these churches are offering ongoing pastoral care and relational follow-up to families in need.
A SUSTAINED COMMITMENT
When conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, the humanitarian toll across the Middle East was immediate and devastating. Two and a half years later, the needs have only grown. Across Gaza, the West Bank, Egypt and Lebanon, millions remain displaced. World Relief and our partners have stayed the course, reaching more than 200,000 individuals with life-saving assistance. To date, our response has included:
- Emergency food assistance: 104,000 people received emergency food and household support in Gaza through ready-to-eat meals and relief items provided in partnership with ZOA.
- Safe water and sanitation: Safe water and sanitation were restored for thousands in Gaza by solarizing three reverse-osmosis systems and building 50 latrines with Water Mission, reaching up to 2,500 people.
- Food security and resilience: 5,200 people strengthened their food security and resilience in Bethlehem and the West Bank through food and clothing assistance delivered with Tearfund Deutschland and Lifegate.
- Support for displaced Palestinians in Egypt: 2,800 displaced Palestinians in Egypt received comprehensive care, including food, rent assistance, medical support and transportation, through a local church partnership.
- Continued medical care: 96,000 people accessed medical care through medicines and supplies delivered with International Health Partners and Anera across Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon — with work ongoing.
- Ongoing work in Gaza: Through the Shepherd Society, the charitable arm of Bethlehem Bible College, we continue distributing food to families facing severe malnutrition, while developing a Safe Spaces Program for children and a medical prosthetics program.
Will you stand with us? In a moment of deep crisis, your generosity will be a tangible expression of God’s love, reminding families in Lebanon and across the region, that they are not forgotten.
Galatians 6:2 calls us to carry each other’s burdens as the fulfillment of Christ’s law. With your support, we can continue to deliver urgent care to those displaced by violence and walk alongside them with compassion and hope.
Please continue to pray with us: for peace, for healing and for every family across the region to
experience the restoration that only God can bring. Together, we are part of His redemptive work.