Between 24th of September and the 10th of November 2024 Caritas Lebanon supported 132,193 displaced people with comprehensive humanitarian services.  

This has included the delivery of 1,477,532 hot meals, assisted by the World Food Program, as well as 3,531 hygiene kits, 13,331 blankets, 12,722 health care services, 235 psychosocial support services, 782 pieces of equipment and games for babies.  

This is just a snapshot of the work being done, with hundreds more receiving legal, protection services, and support in accessing the International Monetary Fund’s Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance fund. 

At present the UN reports 878,497 people are displaced in Lebanon, with 3,287 people having been killed, including at least 203 children, since October 2023. 103 attacks have been made on healthcare facilities, with 145 health workers killed and 123 injured while on duty. 

Joseph fled his home following a massacre in his village of Debl. An entire family nearby was killed by shelling, so Joesph did the unthinkable and grabbed a few belongings, fleeing with his children.  

There had been violence in the region for a year, with Joseph saying, “we refused to leave our land until a massacre in our village shattered our world.”  

Joseph and his children joined a mass of refugees in Beirut, taking shelter where they could. He attended a medical day organised by Caritas Australia allowing him to briefly tend to his health. While fleeing he left many medical supplies he needed behind and has been unable to afford the treatment he requires as he is focusing his resources on ensuring the wellbeing of his children. 

Sally Thomas, Humanitarian Emergencies Lead at Caritas Australia said, “The need in Lebanon is vast, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced in a country that already housed a sizeable refugee population. About 80 percent of people were already living in poverty before this displacement due to severe economic problems in the country. As a result, the necessities families might need when they forcibly relocate, especially with winter setting in, are largely out of their financial reach.” 

“We are proud of our partners who are doing incredible work to support so many people as they navigate the total upending of their lives”   

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in partnership with Catholic Religious Australia, Caritas Australia, and Caritas Lebanon, launched an appeal to support churches in the region following a heartfelt plea for assistance by Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay and Bishop Robert Rabbat.