But the Need is Still Urgent and Necessary at Various Levels!

In response to the escalating situation in the Lebanese South due to the ongoing war at the Lebanese borders, and the consequent displacement of people from their homes, a shelter in the city of Tyr was set up to accommodate fleeing civilians from the dangerous circumstances in the South. As the shelter is crowding with newcomers, humanitarian needs are also piling up. Currently, there is a shortage in necessary items such as Hygiene Kits, disinfections, food item, bed cover and the list goes on.

Luckily, with the timely contribution of the MECC partners such as the international organization Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), and in coordination with the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit and the Union of Tyre Municipalities (UOTM) - represented by Mr. Mortada Mhanna, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is being able to respond to such needs. As such, the Diakonia and Social Service department of the MECC was busy throughout this period with distributing these essential items. As expected, they were quickly exhausted as needs remain high at various levels.

Students face many difficulties when they lack clean and usable health facilities, as well as safe drinking water in schools. Poor health facilities can be a source of disease spread, such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera. Providing clean and safe health facilities in educational institutions undoubtedly has a significant impact on improving health and educational outcomes.

Therefore, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), worked on renovating and rehabilitating health facilities in four government primary schools in Kaswa and Akraba in the countryside of Damascus, Syria. These schools are Akraba The 2nd, Zakia alsadisa, Khiara Z – N, and Khiara The 2nd.

The rehabilitation activities included the rehabilitation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and its equipment, maintenance of the drinking water network, and installation of taps, toilets, doors, tile, ceramic, electric cables, water pumps and tanks, and water pipes in addition to completing the required painting activities. Moreover, solar energy work was executed.

The Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with ABAAD Organization

In an Awareness Session About Breast Cancer

Under the title of "You Deserve Life", and on the occasion of the Pink October Month, the international awareness month of breast cancer, the medical team at the Middle East Council of Churches, Lebanon’s Office, in collaboration with ABAAD organization conducted an awareness activity at the "Martyr Hassan Khaled Educational Center" which is affiliated with Dar El-Fatwa. Participants were 60 women from different nationalities.

The activity included a presentation which highlighted the importance of early detection through self- examination and mammography as well as the types of cancer, and the methods of treatment, which were presented by Dr. Sameer Shleweet who is specializing in Obstetrics & Gynecology and from the MECC team. Moreover, the women participated in some recreational activities that contributed to reducing the daily pressures that may surround them.

In light of the difficult living conditions that Lebanon is suffering from as a result of the various severe crises that are casting their shadow over the country, children are suffering from the repercussions of the daily pressures to which their families may be exposed. In many instances, this is what hinders their activity and negatively affects their mental health and well-being. To make matters worse, they lack the social safety nets that can protect them from any form of abuse or negative conditioning

For this reason, the Middle East Council of Churches seeks to accompany children, who are considered among the weakest groups in societies, in order to support them by creating a safe space for them to express their concerns and allowing them to feel at ease. In this context, the Department of Diakonia and Social Service, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, organized many psychosocial support sessions, last September, for a group of children, where they were taught about ways on how to deal with stigmas such as bullying, psychological distress, and unpleasant feelings or emotions…

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Jordan announces the beginning of new vocational training courses that aims at empowering vulnerable young men and women in order to create job opportunities for both from the neediest communities of refugees and locals.

By bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, MECC aims to showcase the power of unity and collaboration in the communities. These courses have been specifically designed to provide opportunities for young women and men, by learning and working.

In the vocational courses implemented by MECC, the team equips the participants with valuable skills which have the potential to make profound behavioral changes, investing in the potential of our participants to be leaders of positive change that can contribute to the well-being of their families and communities.

The Middle East Council of Churches’ Team Accompanies the Neediest

As people age, their physical abilities degrade rendering them less active then before and making them in need of assistance and support to help them regain their hope despite all the pressures that surround them.

In Lebanon, the difficult living conditions are burdening the citizens who are struggling amidst the worsening social and economic crises. As for the elderly, they are, in turn, facing greater difficulties and challenges as a result of the absence of laws and procedures that protect them and preserve their dignity.

Ibrahim Habib is 76 years old and lives in one of the Beirut areas. Ibrahim has not only reached a critical period in his life, but also has a disability in his leg preventing him from easily commuting in his own house and even at public places.

With the deterioration living conditions in Lebanon, refugees, like all Lebanese, suffer from severe economic and social crises in the country. Due to the unavailability of sufficient job prospects and the nature of their legal status in Lebanon, their situation is getting worse, and many refugees struggle to secure a source of livelihood. Hence, refugees are facing many mental health challenges, in addition to the economic and social challenges that hinder them.

In this context, the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, continues to implement the capacity building program, as it recently organized new sessions of skills development for a group of refugee women at Our Lady Dispensary, affiliated to MECC, and located in the Sabtieh region – Lebanon.

Due to the worsening conditions in Lebanon’s relatively remote locations, and the absence of government policies to develop such areas, poverty is increasing during a time when humanitarian actors are suffering from donor shortage. However, the Middle East Council of Churches, thanks to its partners’ gracious support, is able to mobilize to alleviate the burdens of several households.

As such, scoring was undertaken, with the help of local Churches, to identify the most vulnerable 400 households among a selection of 500, in the Akkar and South of Lebanon areas. Results were staggering as most of the beneficiaries in Akkar – North Lebanon needed the cash assistance mainly for buying medication then food, whereby in South Lebanon, the majority needed the money to keep a roof over their heads. As such, money was dispatched through a local cash transfer service to the vulnerable households.

In light of the severe crises that cast its shadows over Lebanon, mental health is becoming an issue in the country. Therefore, the Middle East Council of Churches, Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, continues its implementation of mental health awareness sessions. It organized recently a new session Session to address such a topic. A group of women were invited to the session at Our Lady Dispensary, affiliated to MECC, and located in the Sabtieh region – Lebanon.

During the session, one of the Council’s social workers explained to the participant’s ways of dealing with stress and how to mitigate its impact. Usually, anxiety is the real culprit behind stress and failing to understand or manage it can lead to more significant problems such as depression, unproductivity, social isolation, and in extreme cases, suicide.

The war in Syria has forced thousands of young people to travel in search of a better life, leaving behind them elderly parents who require care and attention. This has increased the number of elderlies in need of someone to provide them with the necessary care and support. Hence, the Middle East Council of Churches and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Syria have undertaken the restoration of the Al-Rahmeh home for elderly as part of the “Restoration Fund for Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” that is implemented by MECC in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” (KIA) organization in the Netherlands.

Since the beginning of the war in Syria, the Middle East Council of Churches has been steadfast in supporting the Syrian community in all its factions through the implementation of several humanitarian programs in various Syrian provinces, under the slogan "Service with Dignity." Believing in the words of His Beatitude Late Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, "While some may be destined to kill and destroy, our destiny is to build and remain."

One of the programs implemented by MECC is the “Restoration and Rehabilitation of Faith-based Social Services & Religious Infrastructure Damaged During the Crisis in Syria” in cooperation with “Kerk in Actie” organization in the Netherlands. The program aims to restore what the war has destroyed and bring hope back to the people after years of suffering and displacement.

Towards a More Just Society

As part of raising awareness about the concept of gender equality and encouraging joint work, the Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, in cooperation with the ABAAD foundation for gender equality, implemented a gender-based violence (GBV) session titled “Sharing is Power”. It was held during the previous month of June, at the hall of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese in the region of Sabtieh, Beirut. Participants were women and men from different nationalities, were invited to the session wish aimed to highlight gender identities and roles through a series of interactive activities.

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.