The Fratelli Project, an education project of the Marist and De La Salle Brothers, is bringing assistance to more than 1,900 Syrian refugee families living in Lebanon and displaced by the current conflict in the Holy Land.
Photo: La Salle Lebanon
Helping those caught up in the conflict
The situation in Lebanon is dire, with cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah intensifying, resulting in the displacement of over one million people. Thousands have fled their homes, seeking refuge in schools and shelters, often without basic necessities like food, warm clothing, or medical supplies. Winter is fast approaching, worsening the situation.
As the numbers of displaced people in Lebanon continues to climb, Misean Cara is receiving updates from our members in the region who are working to bring support and relief to civilians displaced by the conflict. Most of the affected population is in need of urgent assistance, having fled their homes without essential items. Refugees are facing even harsher conditions due to limited access to shelter and essential services.
Misean Cara members able to mobilise support quickly
Many Misean Cara members were already living and working in the Holy Land before the most current conflict began, supporting communities living in poverty and hardship resulting from years of previous conflicts. Given their long-term presence in the region, Misean Cara’s members are uniquely positioned to help in the aftermath of the current conflict.
Missionaries are able to mobilise their networks quickly, activating supply lines in order to assist with relief efforts. They have local networks and resources to draw on, and are trusted figures within their communities, able to quickly mobilise support to those in most urgent need.
“Missionaries have their own networks within countries and even between congregations,” says Misean Cara CEO, John Moffett. “So especially in situations like this where displaced populations are on the move, our members are able to respond in a very agile way in the places where people are going, because they already have a presence there. They’ve already got the infrastructure on the ground,” says Moffett. “They know the communities and the people and how to work with them.”
Missionaries need your support!
Misean Cara is collecting donations on behalf of our members, including the Marist and De La Salle Brothers, Salesians Don Bosco Ireland, Good Shepherd Sisters and the Salesian Sisters.
The crisis is escalating rapidly, and winter is coming. Your support will directly help displaced families in Lebanon who have lost everything. Whether it’s providing a family with a warm blanket or ensuring a child has enough food to eat, your contribution will have a life-saving impact.
Lebanon’s communities are enduring unimaginable hardship, but with your help, we can offer hope. Misean Cara’s members are committed to staying and helping those most in need. In their words: “We cannot turn away; we are here to share their struggles and offer them a future.”
Please help Misean Cara deliver funding support to missionary relief efforts in Lebanon. Donate today!
Read below to learn how missionaries are coordinating aid delivery and distribution to support displaced communities in Lebanon.
Marist Brothers / De La Salle Brothers
- The Fratelli Project, a refugee education centre run by the De La Salle Brothers and established with the Marist Brothers, are meeting urgent needs of more than 1,900 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon, now displaced by the conflict, with meals, clothing, water, and emergency bedding. Families whose lives were already shattered by war in their homeland are now living seeking refuge in inadequate, unsafe and crowded circumstances, sometimes two and three families together in tiny spaces.
>Stories/voices from the ground: “The noise of surveillance drones is deafening. When we see them getting closer, we know there will be bombings during the night. A hundred of our students have lost their homes or had to leave them to stay with friends or relatives. They need help, food, and shelter”. – Brother Louis, (De La Salle Brothers, Beirut
Salesians Don Bosco
- At their Hossoun Centre, the Salesians Don Bosco are providing shelter, food, medical care, and psychosocial services to 100 displaced persons, including 46 children. Despite the overwhelming challenges in Lebanon, the Salesians’ deep roots in the region ensure that aid reaches those most in need.
> Stories from the ground: Despite the destruction around them, they continue to provide for those displaced by war, ensuring that 100 people, including children, have food, shelter, and basic supplies to survive the winter.
Fr. Edwar Nazih Gobran of the Salesians Don Bosco Provincial County, at the Hossoun Centre in Lebanon, where supports are in place to provide emergency shelter, food and pastoral support to 100 displaced families.
Good Shepherd Sisters
- Operating healthcare centres since 1987, they are now on the frontlines of providing medical aid, food, and psychological support to displaced families, many of whom are living through the trauma of war for a second or third time. The Sisters are offering food baskets, essential medical supplies, and a safe space for over 530 people.
> Stories/voices from the ground: They have tirelessly supported displaced families and vulnerable populations, providing food, medicine, and mental health care to people like a family of five whose home was destroyed. They are helping these individuals rebuild their lives with dignity.
Salesian Sisters
- On the ground in the region since 1954, the Salesian Sisters have opened their schools to over 250 refugees during the conflict, providing blankets, mattresses, clothing, and food despite increasing dangers. Their long history of working with the local community ensures that aid is effectively distributed to those in greatest need, even as roads are destroyed and resources dwindle.
> Stories/voices from the ground: “We are on the brink of winter and in desperate need of medical care, winter clothes, diesel, and water… The roads to our village have been destroyed, making it more difficult to bring essential supplies.” — A Salesian Sister in Hadath-Baalbek.
