Lebanon: Salesians support people who have been internally displaced

Conflict also affected people living in Syria

(MissionNewswire) Salesians in Lebanon* are assisting more than 2,000 internally displaced people from the south of the country who have been affected by the war. More than 275 families are receiving food, medicine and gasoline due to serious situations of vulnerability and job losses.

The conflict in Lebanon has left more than 1.4 million displaced, more than 2,000 dead and more than 12,000 wounded as a result of the bombing, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Salesians warn that there are still many needs, and Salesians around the globe have been responding. The Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, for example, has launched a Middle East Emergency campaign to support the most vulnerable populations in the area.

Salesians living and working in the region are doing what they can for those displaced. The Salesian Center in El Houssoun continues to take care of the displaced. The youth center that normally sees hundreds of Christian and Muslim youth was due to begin soon but was postponed for safety reasons. Salesians are continuing to assess the situation to see when they can reopen the school, as well as the Don Bosco Technique Technical High School in Fidar and the Angels of Peace School for Iraqi refugees in Beirut.

The conflict in Lebanon also affects Syria*. The Salesian noted, “In Lebanon, there are many refugees from Syria. Today, they are returning to their country, but they have nothing. The basic necessities that are bought in Syria all come from Lebanon, therefore, life in Syria becomes more difficult every day.”

Father Alejandro León, a Salesian missionary in the Salesian Province of the Middle East, explained, “We cannot leave all these people who suffer from violence in the Middle East on their own. We must create safe spaces for them, especially for children, and continue to offer them support and assistance with everything they need, prepare for the arrival of winter and, above all, maintain access to education so as not to lose another generation.”

Salesians have been in the Middle East since 1926. In Egypt, Israel, Palestine*, Lebanon and Syria, Salesians provide education and support for thousands of youth through schools and vocational training centers that offer future opportunities. There are also numerous initiatives and projects to welcome and support refugees and those displaced that have been suffering from armed conflicts for the past several years.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Lebanon – Middle East Emergency: “We cannot leave them on their own”

UNHCR – Lebanon

Salesian Missions

World Bank – Lebanon