Tras la explosión de Beirut, el Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio solicitó un Comité Ecuménico para ayudar a la más amplia variedad de personas afectadas, y formó un equipo de responsables en el Consejo y de representantes de las iglesias miembros en Beirut. Para arrojar luz sobre esta labor de socorro sobre el terreno, el Departamento de Comunicación y Relaciones Públicas se reunió con el consultor del Comité, el Rev. Wilbert Van Saane, miembro de la Iglesia holandesa, representante de Kerk in Actie, y profesor de la Escuela Evangélica de Teología de Beirut.

The Charity TV channel dedicated an episode about the Middle East Council of Churches in the morning Show “Hawa Al-Mahba” program, where they shed the light on the Council’s message, its programs and aspirations in several areas. The program's presenter, Charbel Zougheib, started the episode with an interview with the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs who discussed his vision and his future projects.

Following the Beirut Blast, the Middle East Council of Churches called for an Ecumenical Committee to help the widest range of affected people, it formed a team of responsables in the Council and of representatives of the Member Churches in Beirut. To shed the light on this field relief work, the Communication and Public Relations department met the Committee's consultant, Rev. Wilbert Van Saane, a member of the Dutch Church representing Kerk in Actie, and a professor at the Evangelical Theology School in Beirut.

Three months ago, ten emergency workers were asked by the police to respond to a large fire at the Beirut Dock at 5.55pm. However, they were not informed of the large quantities of ammonium nitrate stored at the port, despite several senior Lebanese officials knowing of its existence. At 6.07 pm, the warehouse storing the chemicals exploded, killing the firefighters and the paramedic, with 190 people in the city killed in all.

El Consejo de Iglesias del Oriente Medio (MECC) condenó el abominable crimen que tuvo lugar en Francia hace pocos días y reveló en su comunicado de prensa que: «la violencia es un crimen contra Dios y contra la humanidad, así que, ¿cómo sería si esto se escondiera detrás de una elección justa, en contra del mensaje de todas las religiones que tienen su base en el amor, en la paz, en la solidaridad y en la aceptación del derecho a la diversidad y a la interacción, y que al mismo tiempo considere la diversidad como un rico patrimonio cultural?».

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from the 24th of October to the 2nd of November 2020

En el momento en que la explosión tuvo lugar en el puerto de Beirut se dirigía al Patriarcado en Achrafieh-Jeitawi. En menos de segundos, en una abrir y cerrar de ojos, el arzobispo comenzó a transportar en su coche a los heridos al hospital. Su Excelencia el Arzobispo Georges Asadourian, Vicario Patriarcal de la Iglesia Católica Armenia narra las trágicas horas que siguieron a la explosión y lo que vino con ella de tragedia, miseria y dolor que desgarró a los ciudadanos de Beirut, al pueblo libanés y a todos los que aman al Líbano en todo el mundo.

In a communiqué today, The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) condemned the abominable crime that took place in France in the last few days, and declared that “violence is a crime against God and humanity, so how would it be if it is justified by religious faith, against the teachings of all religions that is love, peace, solidarity and the admittance of the right of diversity and interaction while considering diversity as a rich cultural heritage”.

The moment the explosion took place in the port of Beirut he was heading to the Patriarchate in Achrafieh – Jeitawi. In less than seconds, the Archbishop started transporting wounded people to the hospital with his car! His Excellency Archbishop Georges Asadourian, Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Catholic Church narrates the tragic hours that followed the blast and what came with it of tragedy, misery and sorrow that tore Beirut citizens, the Lebanese people and everyone who loves Lebanon across the world.

The year 2020 has been a challenging year in all aspects in the small Mediterranean country of Lebanon. Home to 18 different religious communities and sects, Lebanon has been considered a model of coexistence and pluralism, and the country which was supposed to be celebrating its 100 years’ centennial, is facing its worse economic and humanitarian crisis threatening its existence and unique identity.

Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Secretary General, in a first acquaintance meeting with the DSPR team

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 19 to 27 October 2020

Necesitamos con urgencia estar unidos como cristianos mientras trabajamos juntos y mostramos el cristianismo a través de nuestras obras

A raíz de la explosión de Beirut, las familias de las iglesias y sus instituciones afiliadas se apresuraron a ayudar a los afectados, a calmar su dolor y curar sus heridas, que ahora son eternas. En cooperación con organizaciones humanitarias locales e internacionales, como el Consejo de Iglesias del Medio Oriente-Departamento de Diaconía, las diócesis y arquidiócesis de Beirut continúan sus esfuerzos para apoyar a aquellos que han sido afectados psicológica, moral y financieramente; especialmente porque se ahogan en un ciclo interminable de crisis asfixiantes y no podrán salir fácilmente de él.

Dr. Michel Abs, el secretario general del MECC inició sus visitas oficiales a los presidentes del Consejo para agradecerles su confianza en elegirlo como secretario general por cuatro años. Su primera visita fue a Su Beatitud Bechara Pedro card. Rai en la sede del Patriarcado en Bkerke. Estuvo acompañado por el P. Gabriel Hachem, el Secretario General Adjunto y director del Departamento Teológico y Ecuménico, la Sra. Huguette Salameh, directora del Departamento de Comunicación y Relaciones Públicas, y la Sra. Nina Hallak, coordinadora del Departamento de Diaconía en Beirut.

In the wake of the Beirut Blast, the churches families and their affiliated institutions rushed to save their affected, to calm their pain and heal their wounds, which are now eternal. In cooperation with local and international humanitarian organizations, such as the Middle East Council of Churches – Diakonia Department, Beirut's dioceses and archdioceses continue their efforts to support those who have been affected psychologically, morally and financially; especially as they drown in an endless cycle of suffocating crises and will not be able to get out of it easily.

A lady affected by the Beirut Blast, said in confused and bittersweet tears while receiving a box of aid offered by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) “I did not expect to receive cleaning products that would last me for 3 to 4 months, especially that I was not capable of, buying them myself”. In fact, since the 4th of August, this lady’s tears have been burning. She described the pain and despair that are dominating Beirut's people who, without individual initiatives and assistance of churches and civil societies, would have been neither helped nor supported in these tragic and brutal circumstances.

Although the Lebanese and international observers were hopeful that the FBI would disclose a revelation that would inflame the media, it unfortunately released an inconclusive report which left many questions unanswered. However, not all hope is lost as the judge overseeing the case is still awaiting the French Investigators’ report which is expected to be more comprehensive and conclusive than the one the FBI handed over, which had not determined whether the explosion was accidental or not.

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 12 to 19 October 2020

Dr. Michel Abs, the MECC Secretary General started his official visits to the council’s Presidents to thank them for their confidence in electing him as Secretary General for four years. Therefore, his first visit was to His Beatitude Mar Bechara Boutros Al Rahi at the Patriarchate headquarters in Bkerke. He was accompanied by Fr. Gabriel Hachem, the Associate Secretary General and director of the Theological and Ecumenical Department, Mrs. Huguette Salameh, director of the Communication and Public Relations Department, and Ms. Nina Hallak, coordinator of the Diakonia Department in Beirut.

In the framework of the last two appeals launched by the Middle East Council of Churches consequently to the Beirut Blast, the Diakonia department’s team provided a new batch of relief supplies to presidents in the member church to be distributed to the most vulnerable and damaged families in the Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox, Evangelical and Catholic Churches.