Help the Franciscan Convent and people in Beirut

Unfortunately, new fears and uncertainties weigh heavily on the future of the Lebanese people.The danger of an escalating war is becoming increasingly real, prompting European governments to urge their citizens to leave the country.

Thousands of Lebanese, especially women and children, have already been forced to leave their homes in the south and move to safer areas. Hour by hour, the already dire living conditions of the population worsen.

All that families can do is courageously try to survive, and we can only stand by these brothers and sisters in need.

We want to continue providing families with concrete and immediate assistance through the distribution of food packages containing essential items.

These food packages include necessities like rice, legumes, flour, oil, and salt, and are distributed from our centers in Beirut and Tripoli to over 4,000 families in need.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for anything you can do. Your support will not only help Lebanese families in difficulty to feed their children, but it will also be a concrete sign of hope, helping them not to feel alone and forgotten in this dramatic moment.

Links:

• A life-saving food package in Beirut

Lebanon finds itself in a dire and tumultuous state as it grapples with the escalating conflict. The country, already burdened with political, economic, and social challenges, now faces the harrowing realities of a deadly confrontation. As the conflict with Israel intensifies, the southern regions of Lebanon—strongholds for Hezbollah—witness mass evacuations, echoing the scenes unfolding in northern Israel.

We interviewed Fadi, our project manager who lives in Beirut, and he told us about how they are experiencing these days.

“We have a lot of people that left the South to come to Beirut or other cities like Tyro. We're talking about more than 150,000 persons.

This fact is already impacting on the economy, people that left the South do not always have relatives or friends here that can host them. So, they are obliged to rent houses whose prices are constantly increasing as Beirut it’s still a safe area. There is currently an economic crisis and the owners, who need money, are increasing the rent because it's an opportunity for them.

A weird thing that you can see in Beirut is the opening of new bars and restaurant in the middle of this economic crisis. That’s because people who have some savings don't have trust in banks and they cannot send money outside Lebanon due to the restrictions in place. So, they are investing.

The daily life is challenging due to the lack of electricity, gasoline, and light. We have electricity maybe 2 to 4 hours per day maximum and it depends on the region. Generators fees are extremely high: I have a small apartment and I pay $200 per month even if I am not using it, as I am always at work or outside.

All day long, not only in the South but in Beirut as well, we have the drones in the sky, we cannot see them, but we can hear them. We fear an escalation as we know that if it happens, a big part of the country will be destroyed. The uncertainty and instability that we are experiencing now, not knowing if there will be an escalation, is the worst thing of all."

We keep on distributing primary goods to more than 2.500 families in Tripoli and Beirut. Each box costs around 60 USD and is fundamental for the family. The waiting list is very long therefore we try to increase this number of beneficiaries with 200 people per month. 

Even a small help allows a family on the waiting list to start hoping again!