We had the chance to speak with our Regional director for Lebanon and Syria, Michel Constantin, with devastating updates as this webinar came in time to hear the latest movements in the Middle East. See some highlights below.
Updates on Lebanon show that the level of damage is very high:
- 4000 people lost their lives
- 15000 people injured, many with life threatening wounds
- 100000 houses lost, completely destroyed
- 40 villages totally razed, not even one house remained standing
- There are 15 Christian villages in the south of the country that are in a red zone where access is forbidden. 9 catholic schools have been damaged in that area, one of them having received direct shelling will need extensive renovations.
- 5 or 6 churches have been deeply hit by shelling and will need substantial renovations; in some cases they will need to be rebuilt.
Updates on Syria:
- Aleppo is completely surrounded, no one can get in or out of Aleppo and the only way to bring in supplies is through Turkey; but so far that hasn’t happened.
- Syrian currency is no longer valid in Aleppo.
- Telephone lines and mobile communication have been changed from Syria’s national network to the Turkish network.
- All markets are completely closed.
- A curfew was imposed, no one can go anywhere from 5pm to 5am. It’s forbidden to go out on the roads, even for a walk.
Pope Francis lamented with our brothers and sisters who are suffering: “With God’s help,” he said, “support those who are suffering and in need, who often see no hope.”
We must pray for those suffering with all of our hearts, especially those suffering in the Middle East.
See the full FRENCH webinar on our Youtube channel.