Outreach Stories

“A land yearning for peace yet has never seen it. Peace to the Middle East, with all it holds, and to all who live in it.” These words, circulating on social media and spoken from the depths of sorrow, reflect the grief and hope of Middle Eastern people amidst relentless turmoil. Just days after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, a major escalation in the Syrian war took place last weekend, casting a shadow over fleeting hopes of stability in the region.

In the wake of the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza, the situation in South Lebanon has become increasingly perilous. While the exchange of hostilities from both sides remained contained within previously accepted “rules of engagement,” the situation has escalated quickly as of mid-September. Communities near the border have been greatly affected, leading to a significant displacement of residents from their homes. Our partner organizations like the Compassion Protestant Society, which is the diaconal arm of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Forum for Development Culture and Dialogue in Lebanon are all on the ground providing much-needed support and relief to some of the 112,000 internally displaced persons.