Report: July 11th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Syria ranks sixth globally in terms of the number of people suffering from food insecurity, while Syrians today are struggling to put food on their tables more than ever before, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).  

Thus, the Middle East Council of Churches continues to support Syrians in facing the consequences of the harsh war by implementing several programs through the Service and Relief Department - Diakonia. Recently, MECC distributed 489 food baskets in the village of Kamouneh and 100 food baskets in the village of Mothbeen in Rural Dara’a.  

One of the Earthquake’ Survivors in Aleppo Remembers the Bitterness of the Disaster’s First Moments

About 5 months has passed since the catastrophic earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, and the survivors in Syria are still suffering from its catastrophic repercussions. This is amidst a wave of various crises, especially economic crisis, that have cast a shadow over the country, as the needs are still dire at various levels.

The Middle East Council of Churches, in its turn, seeks to heal the wounds of the affected and afflicted through the in-kind assistance it provides in order to support them to overcome their ordeal with great hope. In addition, MECC had formed an Ecumenical relief committee with representatives of the Churches in Syria aiming at working on restoring the destroyed houses by the earthquake, thus securing a safe shelter for many families.

In the video, one of the earthquake survivors in Aleppo recalls the bitter situations she passed through with her family following the disaster, describing the difficult living conditions that our brothers and sisters in Syria are witnessing.

As part of capacity building and life skills improving, the Middle East Council of Churches continues its training courses that it organizes in various countries of the region in order to empower its people and enhance their role in building better societies.

Thus, the Middle East Council of Churches, Jordan’s Office, pursues to implement new training courses, as it announces, on the one hand, with the support of the international humanitarian organization “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” (ELCA) through ACT Appeal JOR 231 and in cooperation with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) academy and the German university in Jordan, the opening of the energy and renewable energy course of the program with the participation of 20 men and women trainees from Syrian and Jordanian nationalities.

In the context of following up the humanitarian and relief developments in Syria following the earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant, the Middle East Council of Churches presents a video showing the extent of the catastrophe that occurred in Syria and its repercussions in Jableh region, Rural Lattakia governorate.

In addition to the testimonies of some survivors, the Central and Coastal Area Coordinator at MECC, Syria’s Office, Shadi Saroukh, describes, in the video, the difficult living conditions in Jableh after years of war and following the devastating earthquake, as he explains the response of the Middle East Council of Churches to help and support the affected and afflicted people.

Noting that the Middle East Council of Churches had formed an Ecumenical relief committee with representatives of the Churches in Syria aiming at working on restoring the destroyed houses by the earthquake.

Like women, men are susceptible to various forms of psychological pressures that can affect their overall wellbeing. Since they are fundamental parts of our society and are bread winners for many families, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, decided during May 2023 to carry out psychosocial support and soft skills sessions to a group of men.

Within the framework of the Middle East Council of Churches’ efforts to assist students in pursuing their academic studies, and stemming from the belief that education is the foundation of peace and security in the world; the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Syria’s Office, implemented remedial classes for 9th-grade students which targeted 135 students.

The classes addressed all necessary information in the curriculum in order to improve the academic level of students to enable them to pass the 9th-grade official exams successfully.

With the aim of supporting children morally and psychologically, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, carried out 5 drama therapy sessions for a group of children aged between 10 and 11. Since they are in a critical stage of their life and will be soon transitioning to the teenage phase, it is important to cultivate their emotional wellbeing.

Following the Beirut Port Blast that destroyed the capital massively, the Middle East Council of Churches, Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Lebanon Office, worked on the restoration of the damaged small businesses and investments in order to help their owners restore their hope and get back their sources of income after they lost everything they owned.

After having their businesses rehabilitated by MECC, the Council moved on with the second phase of the project in which it focused on business empowerment. Not only affected small business owners benefitted from this project but so did members of the surrounding community

Report: June 2nd, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Report: May 27th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

A delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches’ partners, United Church of Christ Canada, United Church of Christ America and Disciples of Christ (Global Ministries), headed by Dr. Peter Makari, the Global Relations Minister of the Middle East and Europe Global Ministries, visited the MECC offices in Amman, Jordan, on 22 of April 2023.

In reception of the delegation was the MECC Jordan Team:
1. Ms. Wafa Goussous: the office’s Director
2. Azmi Udwan
3. Berta Ziadeh
4. Anni Koshkeryan

Report: May 4th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Report: April 27th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Report: April 20th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Together towards Achieving Gender Equality

Within the framework of working to reduce violence against women and achieve gender equality, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, implemented, during the last month of March, several awareness sessions on gender-based violence, in which 6 groups of 15 women attended. The sessions were held at the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese and at Our Lady Dispensary affiliated to MECC, in the Sabtieh region.

Since the International Women's Day theme for this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, the sessions focused on the importance of gender equality and the necessity to fight gender-based violence. It also aimed to empower and support women and remind them that they are, such as men, an essential pillar in the development and prosperity of societies, while stressing the need to respect them, preserve their human rights and dignity.

Years of war have left behind an exhausted country, and youths who are unable to find employment opportunities that help them build a stable future. Unemployment rates among the youth have increased significantly in Syria, making emigration their only hope.

Although there are no accurate statistics about the rate of unemployment in Syria, a recent analytical study entitled "Unemployment in Syria" concluded that the largest percentage of unemployed people is among the youth category, which makes up about 70% of society and is the most productive group. As well as, Rural Damascus province includes the highest percentage of unemployed youth among Syrian provinces, according to the same study.

The Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s Office, worked in order to support the youth by implementing vocational training courses, through Livelihoods program. These courses help the youth improve their professional skills regardless of their educational level and enable them to become financially independent, rather than relying on humanitarian support that cannot be secured in the long term.

A Survivor Reports the Bitter Situations She Passed Through Following the Disaster

Two months have passed since the catastrophic earthquake that struck the North of the Antiochian Levant. The Syrian people are still suffering, with great pain, from its tragic effects, which turned their lives upside down. In fact, the Syrians’ wounds have not yet healed, especially that the earthquake’s repercussions are enormous on various living levels. Hence, families are searching for safety and hope in a wounded country that is still witnessing escalating conflicts and crises.

Report: March 30th, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective. 

Report: March 23rd, 2023

The Middle East Council of Churches is being involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Syria under the name of "Rescue Syria Campaign" through which the Council shall be dealing with the relief efforts in this emergency period and later on with rehabilitation plans in order to help people survive properly and resume a normal life with dignity.

MECC will be publishing a periodical report under the name of "Rescue Syria Update" which will keep you informed about the developments of MECC action as well as the overall situation in a context analysis perspective.