Report: 21 April 2021

Despite the drive to deliver vaccines to the population, many ME citizens are still reluctant to take the vaccine.

For instance, the acceptance rates of vaccination are just 23% in Kuwait and 28% in Jordan, making the various national immunization plans difficult to implement.

1915 – 2021

Criminality and Denial still in work

The 24th of April marks the day of the Armenian Genocide remembrance of 1915. WWI was the right time for Turkey to execute long planned extermination of the Armenian people living in Western Armenia. The strategy was to create a homogenous Turkish state through Turkification of the ethnic minorities within the empire, a policy that culminated in the systematic annihilation of the Armenian population.

Evangelical churches are characterized by their autonomy, diversity and geographic independence

It is true that several initiatives have sought to strengthen the movement of unity between Churches, but the main goal remains bridging distances between all Church families while preserving their differences. This diversity characterizes all churches at different levels such as beliefs, prayers, and traditions ...

Lead investigator Judge Tarek Bitar ordered on 15 April, the release of six people detained in connection to the devastating Beirut Blast. However, the judge rejected the release of 19 other people. This is certainly a sign of our judicial system is working by weeding out those that are deemed innocent from those who are to-be caught.

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 12 to 19 April 2021

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) works in a very turbulent, volatile and confused environment, and sometimes finds itself in positions that require a lot of audaciousness and daring to deal with its components.

The MECC, which includes all the churches of the area and has been operating for nearly half a century, has accumulated experience and know-how in areas in which it has shown appreciative success.

MECC General Secretariat held its annual meeting today on 14th April 2021 with international and regional partner organizations and institutions on Zoom to discuss different opinions and share knowledge in order to develop the role of the council and improve work mechanism and cooperation in future projects.

Report: 14 April 2021

As the Arab world prepares itself for Ramadan, the pandemic continues to spread at alarming rates in the Middle East.

As children of the Church, we stand out because we are neither broken nor defeated by Hell

The forty-day fasting time is considered one of the most important seasons loaded with prayers, ecclesiastical celebrations and various spiritual meetings in which the faithful participate with commitment, especially the youth whose presence has always been characterized by positive energy, vitality and hope... They are always overjoyed to prepare for the holy week and Easter as they strive to spread hope in the hearts of many brothers.

Report 1 to 13 April 2021

Recently, the IMF revised its projections of the real GDP growth in the (MENA) region to increase it to 4 percent in 2021, an upgrade of 0.9 percent relative to the fund’s October projections. This is due to the fact that MENA countries have managed to lessen the impacts of the pandemic on their economies through certain policies that set the balance between the people’s health and the protection of the economy.

On the 9th of April 2021, two German firms unveiled a reconstruction plan that would turn Beirut port and its surroundings into a major lucrative area, according to European standards. Speaking at a press conference in Beirut, Colliers Germany’s managing director Hermann Schnell stated “affordable housing for families, green space and good infrastructure” is one of the goals of the project.

In the framework of its efforts to support students to continue their education, MECC implemented remedial classes for 9th grade students in Aleppo and Rural Damascus Governorates.

The classes addressed all necessary information in the curriculum in order to improve the academic level of students to enable them pass the 9th grade official exams successfully.

As a follow-up to the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq, Middle East Council of Churches President on behalf of the Catholic family and Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael Sako met with MECC General Secretary Dr. Michel Abs, Assistant Secretary General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros and departments directors.

Syria and Lebanon

Humanitarian Update

Reporting period: from 4 to 12 April 2021

The Middle East Council of Churches General Secretariat issued its annual report for the year 2020, a year in review burdened by challenges and obstacles in the world in general, and the Middle East in particular. The East witnessed a never-ending cycle of crises for decades now.

The deadly outbreak of the Coronavirus has had many negative repercussions on people’s mental health, especially women and children, who are considered to be the most vulnerable. The Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, Beirut office, organized many psychological and social support sessions allowing participants to restore their normal life activities.

An online meeting will be held next week, and will include the Associates General Secretaries and the staff team of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), with the Council's partners in the international ecumenical family.

This meeting, which is held annually, and sometimes at a higher pace, is usually a platform for interaction, exchange of ideas and discussion on forward-looking directions and action plans for the Middle East Council of Churches.

MECC provided awarenes for COVID-19 to families in Deir Al Bakeht, Dara’a Governorate, through visiting 2047 families in their homes.

The families were introduced to disease transmission methods and infection symptoms and were given tips on how to strengthen their immune system.

8 months following the catastrophic Beirut Port Blast, the Middle East Council of Churches continues its response to the urgent necessities and losses resulting from it and its tremendous repercussions, through supporting the affected people, especially amid the deteriorating living conditions in the country.