“She is paying the price of two fallen countries: one torn by war, and another torn by loss and social injustice.”
This is how our Lebanese project partners summed up the plight of Dia, an elderly Syrian Christian who fled civil war in her homeland to seek refuge in Lebanon. Her son, who was her only support, worked hard to help his mother settle in the new country where they were strangers. “He gave her the ability to bear all the severity of the circumstances,” said our project partners. Then he died of a heart attack. Dia is too old to get a job, yet she must eat and pay her medical bills. How can she survive in Lebanon, a nation mired in economic catastrophe, with inflation at an all-time high, making fuel, medicine and even food unaffordable?
Dia is just one of the Christians in Lebanon receiving practical help from Barnabas Aid. She is typical of many elderly women “left to face life’s severity, helpless and alone”.
Syrian Christian children, refugees in Lebanon. Their father earns a meagre wage as a cleaner, their mother is disabled and cannot work, but Barnabas has helped them with food and winter clothes
A helping hand, a candle of hope, for our fellow Christians
Laurice and her husband, Palestinian Christians, have lived in Lebanon for over 40 years. Latterly their son supported them, but then lost his leg in an accident and can no longer work. He needs ongoing medication and so does Laurice, who is afflicted with severe pain in her back. Barnabas has assisted with their medical bills. “Helping this family granted them a new meaning in life,” said our project partners. “Being strangers in this land planted many seeds of fear and loneliness for years and having a helping hand has lit a candle of hope for the coming days.”
As well as Syrian and Palestinian Christians, Barnabas is helping Armenian and Lebanese Christians. All of them are suffering the miseries and deprivations of life in Lebanon today; all of them love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Laurice needs pain relief. Her son can no longer support her because he lost his leg in an accident
A terrible situation getting worse
“The situation is getting worse, and you can’t imagine how many requests I have for people in need,” wrote our project partners to Barnabas this week.
Lebanon, where bread is a staple food, used to rely heavily on Ukraine for imported wheat, as well as vegetable oil and canned meat. Since the onset of the Ukrainian war in February, these items have become even scarcer and costlier than before. The Consumer Price Index for food in Lebanon has risen by over 3,000 percentage points since 2020. Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has been steadily cutting the subsidies it used to provide for fuel and medicine.
Barnabas helps Mariam with her medication
Help us to keep helping
We are thankful to the Lord for leading our project partners to Dia, Laurice and many other desperately needy Christians. We are thankful to our supporters for their gifts which have enabled us to send help in the past.
As the economic catastrophe in Lebanon grows, please give today ― so we can continue to help.
Costs are changing all the time, but a family food and hygiene parcel, as currently provided by our project partners, is around $58.
