Many thanks to H.H Pope Tawadros II for hosting the next General Assembly

We must work together to contain the post-Coronavirus poverty, unemployment and crises

On Friday, February 11, 2022, the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches held an online meeting in compliance with the ongoing preventive measures during the Corona pandemic. Members of the Committee from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Cyprus, and Lebanon attended the meeting.

The meeting was presided by the heads of the Church families of the Council: President of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox family His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, President of the Council for the Greek Orthodox family His Beatitude Patriarch John X, President of the Council for the Catholic family His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako, President of the Council for the Evangelical family Reverend Dr. Habib Badr. Other participants were members of the Executive Committee, the General Secretariat team, and the invitees of Secretary General Dr. Michel E. Abs.

The Service and Relief Department- Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Damascus office, distributed various in-kind kits to students in six schools in Rural Damascus, Aleppo and Homs in order to support the most vulnerable groups.

The students of a school in Bloudan and another in Madaya in Rural Damascus received hygiene and school kits in addition to children clothing kits. In addition, the students of other two schools in Homs and two in Aleppo, received school and hygiene kits.

Desde hace dos años, los ciudadanos libaneses sufren el agravamiento de la crisis económica y el colapso del sistema bancario y de la moneda libanesa. Con el objetivo de hacer frente a esta situación urgente, el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio sigue apoyando a los grupos más afectados por este desastre económico y de vida para preservar su dignidad y proteger su derecho a una vida digna. Por ello, el Departamento de Servicio y Ayuda – Diakonia, oficina de Beirut, implementó un programa de asistencia en dinero, en asociación y cooperación con la organización humanitaria internacional Norwegian Church Aid – NCA.

MECC distribuye ropa y calzado de invierno a los niños

Con el objetivo de ayudar a las familias a superar uno de los principales problemas del invierno, el Departamento de Servicio y Ayuda – Diakonia, oficina de Damasco, del Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio distribuyó ropa de invierno para los niños de Dara'a Al Balad y Um Al-Mayazen, en la gobernación de Dara'a.

Since two years, Lebanese citizens are suffering from worsening economic crises, and the collapse of the banking system and the Lebanese currency. Aiming at facing this urgent situation, the Middle East Council of Churches continues to support the most affected groups by this economic and living disaster in order to preserve their dignity and protect their right to a decent life. Hence, the Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, Beirut office, implemented a cash assistance program, in partnership and cooperation with the international humanitarian organization Norwegian Church Aid – NCA.

MECC Distributed Winter Clothes and Shoes to Children

Aiming at helping families to overcome one of the major winter challenges, the Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, Damascus office, at the Middle East Council of Churches distributed winter clothes for children in Dara’a Al Balad and Um Al-Mayazen in Dara’a Governorate.

“How lovely it is to get together in love our Lord teaches us, When two meet in my name together I will always be in between their gather” (from the “How Lovely” hymn).

On the occasion of the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” 2022, the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches united in prayer, at the invitation of the team of the World Ecumenical Center in Geneva.

The Service and Relief Department- Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s office, implemented sessions on positive parenting for mothers in order to help them deal in a better way with their children and families and to break their daily routine cycle through enabling them to engage in a new positive activity.

In total, the activity targeted 80 mothers whose children were participants in the summer school in July and August.

«ÚNETE para poner fin a la violencia contra las mujeres»

Una de cada dos mujeres declaró que ella o una mujer que conocía había sufrido algún tipo de violencia, y casi una de cada cuatro mujeres se siente insegura en casa... [1]. Son cifras registradas por ONU-Mujeres a partir de los datos de 13 países desde el brote de coronavirus. Pero también son cifras impactantes que describen una dura realidad. De ahí que el peligro sobre la vida de las mujeres sea cada vez mayor, sobre todo porque a menudo se las considera uno de los grupos más débiles de las sociedades.

"UNiTE to End Violence against Women"

One in two women reported that they or a woman they know experienced some type of violence, and nearly one in 4 women feel unsafe at home... These are numbers recorded by the UN Women based on data from 13 countries since the Coronavirus outbreak. But these are also shocking numbers that describe a harsh reality. Hence, danger on women’s life is increasing, specially that they are often considered one of the weakest groups in societies.

A delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches headed by Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs visited His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and president of the Council for the Eastern Orthodox Family, on Wednesday 29 December 2021 at the Patriarchal Headquarters in Atchane, Lebanon.

MECC Distributed Summer Seeds to Farmers in Dara’a

In order to continue supporting poor and affected families through enabling them to participate in the economic life; the Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s office, provided summer seeds to farmers in Samej and Um Al Mayathen villages in Daraa Governorate.

With the aim of restoring livestock- hens breeding which was depleted during war in Syria, and in order to help rural families improve their income; the team of the Service and Relief Department- Diakonia at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria office distributed 30 laying to each of 180 families in Um El Mayathen town in Dara’a Governorate. Some families included female-headed households and others persons with disabilities.

Miedo, ansiedad, desesperación, pobreza severa, futuro incierto (...) todas estas expresiones describen las circunstancias del Líbano actual. Los refugiados, al igual que los libaneses, están pasando por unas condiciones de vida duras y deterioradas. De hecho, los refugiados salieron de sus países en busca de una vida mejor y más segura, pero hoy se enfrentan a muchas dificultades a diversos niveles económicos, sociales y sanitarios (...).

El Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio impartió un curso de «Cuidador a domicilio» en Damasco, Siria, en cooperación con el IECD - Instituto Europeo de Cooperación y Desarrollo.

El curso duró 32 días en la sede del IECD e incluyó la formación práctica de 19 alumnos en «Dar Al Saada», que es una residencia de ancianos, en Damasco.

Fear, anxiety, despair, severe poverty, uncertain future... all these expressions describe the circumstances in Lebanon today. Refugees, as Lebanese, are all passing through hard and deteriorating living conditions. In fact, refugees left their countries in search of a better and safer life, but today they are facing many difficulties at various economic, social and health levels...

Since its establishment, the Middle East Council of Churches is keen to help the refugees, taking care of them and preserving their dignity.

The Middle East Council of Churches conducted “Home Caretaker” course in Damascus, Syria, in cooperation with IECD - European Institute for Cooperation and Development.

The course lasted for 32 days at the IECD headquarters and included practical training for 19 trainees in “Dar Al Saada”, which is an elderly care home, in Damascus.

Rehabilitation work at Al Rahma Home for Elderly in Aleppo has ended and life has been back to it once again. This process came within the “Restoration of Faith –Based Social Services and Religious Infrastructure that were affected by the Syrian crisis” program, which is implemented by the Middle East Council of Churches and Kerk in Actie in Netherlands, in various Syrian governorates.

Es cierto que la agudización de las crisis económicas, sociales y sanitarias que afligen a Oriente Medio está agobiando a los ciudadanos. Pero, ¿saben lo difícil que es el impacto psicológico de estas crisis en los grupos más afectados? ¿Se da cuenta de la ansiedad que sienten los adolescentes en esta delicada etapa de sus vidas?

De hecho, los adolescentes de hoy en día, especialmente en las sociedades orientales, están sufriendo varios trastornos vitales, que se manifiestan con el desplazamiento, el aislamiento social y el retraso en la educación entre ellos, lo que les empuja a vivir en una severa depresión y desesperación.

It is true that the deepening economic, social and health crises that are afflicting the Middle East are overwhelming the citizens. But do you know how difficult is the psychological impact of these crises on the most affected groups? Do you realize how anxious teenagers are becoming at this delicate stage of their lives?

In fact, teenagers today, especially in Eastern societies, are suffering from several life upheavals, manifested with the displacement, social isolation and delay in education among them, which push them live in severe depression and despair.