Middle East Humanitarian Appeal - Update
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It is with deep gratitude that I write to thank you for your generosity toward those caught at the crossroads of conflict in the Middle East.
Phil Lindsay, Effectiveness & Humanitarian Team Leader
The response from the Tearfund community has been incredible. At the time of writing, you have helped to raise $143,704, helping provide support to over 12,000 people fleeing violence. It is inspiring to see God’s people answer the call to love – from your prayers and compassion here in Australia to our partner in Lebanon walking alongside those who have lost so much.
Your support is reaching people like, Amal*. When violence escalated, she fled with her family to Beirut, only to later learn that her family home was destroyed.
“When we saw that there was nothing left… it crushed us,”she shared. Having already lost her brother during the 2024 conflict, the weight of this new loss is immense.
Through MERATH’s network, Amal’s family received essential supplies, including blankets for her grandchild. “The entire team is just amazing,” Amal shared. “Their love is genuine and their support and presence lift our spirits. They make us feel like we matter.”
We are also encouraged by the Emergency Action Alliance (EAA), of which Tearfund is a member. Following a $2 million contribution from the Minderoo Foundation to the EAA’s appeal, Tearfund was allocated $80,000. This brings the total we are able to provide to our local partner MERATH, to $223,704.
When I speak to the staff on the ground in Lebanon, I am struck by their faithfulness. They go about their work without fuss, but they are tired. In the last few months alone, they have supported approximately 3,000 households with essentials like shelter, heating and food.
Despite the ceasefire, conflict persists, and those returning home are often met with rubble. This journey is far from over. It would be easy to become discouraged, but a recent reflection in a newsletter by MERATH’s umbrella organisation, Thimar, powerfully articulates the posture Christian organisations like MERATH take:
"As a country caught at the crossroads of regional and global interests, much of our future feels beyond our control. For many, exhaustion, uncertainty, and discouragement have become constant companions. And yet, for Christians, perhaps this is precisely the kind of moment we are called to inhabit. The early Church grew not in comfort, but in the midst of persecution, instability, and hardship. Christ himself lived and ministered under occupation. Throughout history, Christian communities have continued serving, teaching, healing, and loving even in seasons that appeared hopeless.”
Just as MERATH and their local church partners are driven by a deep desire to uphold human dignity and meet people in their hour of greatest need, we know you share that same heart. We are deeply grateful for your contribution to ensure this work is possible.
MERATH continues to respond to people’s needs, distributing core relief items, providing cash assistance and psychosocial support.
Please continue to pray for them and all those who lives have been affected:
- Pray for the staff at MERATH and their local partners and churches. May God carry their heavy burdens, sustain their strength, protect them and provide comfort and restoration during this difficult time.
- Pray for those who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. We ask the Mighty Comforter to protect and heal them, restoring their hope through the vital support of partners like MERATH.
- Pray for an end to the violence. May God’s peace reign over Lebanon and across the wider Middle East.
With thanks for your part in God’s work,
Phil Lindsay
Effectiveness & Humanitarian Team Leader
Middle East Humanitarian Appeal
Help provide vital support for displaced people impacted by conflict in Lebanon.