Yearly Archives: 2026

In time of war: quick Lebanon update

   

In time of war: quick Lebanon update

Dear friends and supporters,

the war in Lebanon continues unabated. Attacks by the Israeli army have hit most of the south of the country, the Bekaa valley in the east, and the southern and central districts of Beirut itself. Much infrastructure has been destroyed, including several bridges on the Litani river. At this moment, the authorities count 968 dead, 2432 wounded and more than a million people on the go, displaced from their homes and looking for somewhere safe from the bombs (source: L’Orient-Le Jour). Not unsurprisingly, the Lebanese state does not have the resources to cope with this situation.

“Evacuation orders”, posted on Twitter/X by the Israeli army, sometimes in the middle of the night and at a very short notice, can be confusing, sparking more fear. They currently cover large swathes of Lebanon.

(images: Financial Times)

In time of war: an update on Lebanon

Update March 11

Dear friends and supporters,

since the war started on March 2nd, in Lebanon the Israeli strikes have killed 634 people, wounded thousands and displaced more than 816’000, 12% of the whole population.

The Israeli Army has issued “evacuation orders” on Twitter/X for South Beirut, which is very densely populated, and for the southern regions of Lebanon, covering nearly 10% of the entire surface of the country. Many UN Palestinian refugee camps are inside the “evacuation” areas. Needless to say, most people have nowhere to go.

Prices are rising. Countless people sleep in cars or on the streets. Announced and un-announced strikes terrorize the population. Nobody can feel safe: Father Pierre Al Rahi, a priest who had chosen to remain with his parishioners in their southern village, was killed by Israeli artillery at his home. A hotel in a quiet and predominantly Christian area in the outskirt of Beirut was suddenly attacked by fighter jets, killing the receptionist, 34-year-old Fatima Zaher Ahmadi. At least 14 first-aid paramedics have been killed, too.

The family of one of the FAID children have lost their home in the bombing. The father of this family was killed in the bombings of 2024.

We try to keep in touch with our friends there and check on them every day. This is a tiny bit of comfort for them.

We will keep you up to date with the situation on the ground.

In time of war: Beirut update

In time of war: Beirut update

Dear all,

After the evacuation order for the South of Lebanon on Wednesday March 4th, yesterday (Thu March 5th) afternoon the Israeli army issued another evacuation order for the entire southern suburbs of Beirut. There are about 700k people living there. The UN refugee camp of Shatila, which hosts the kindergarten we support, is inside the evacuation zone.

This order sparked mayhem in Beirut – monstrous traffic jams, people leaving on foot, everybody either sheltering in schools and other public buildings, or sleeping in public squares, on the city streets, along the sea, with grandparents, babies in strollers, pets – all their possessions left behind in a great hurry.

The night bombardment has caused many casualties.

(picture: L’Orient Today / Source: Israeli army)

In time of war: update from the South of Lebanon

In time of war: update from the South of Lebanon

Dear friends and supporters,

another short update from our friends in Lebanon.

The Israeli army has released an “evacuation” or “expulsion” order on Twitter – that’s how people in Lebanon are supposed to stay informed on what’s going to happen to them. According to this message, the whole population of the South of the country should leave. This region includes the cities of Sour/Tyre and Bint Jbeil, and likely hundreds of thousands of people, most of them with absolutely nowhere else to go.

The targeted region also includes three UN refugee camps near Sour/Tyre. One of them, Burj el Shemali, hosts the kindergarten that we support, and of course the teachers, the children and their families. We were there last May.

So far, very few families have left the refugee camps.

We will keep you up to date.

 

In time of war: an update from FAID

  

An update from FAID in time of war

Dear friends and supporters,

we have an update from FAID that we would like to share with you. The school is closed at the moment, given the very serious situation:

“A large number of our students live in the southern suburbs of Beirut, areas that have been heavily targeted on a daily basis. Many families there are being forced to evacuate their homes. At the same time, the South and the Bekaa region are also experiencing intense military activity, which has led to further displacement and fear among the communities we serve.
We are grateful to share that, at this moment, our staff and students remain safe. Many of the Syrian families we work with have temporarily returned to Syria until the situation becomes more stable.

[…]
Even in areas that are not currently experiencing heavy attacks, there remains a constant sense of insecurity. The presence of drones and fighter jets overhead day and night, along with ongoing naval activity along the coast, has created an atmosphere where many people feel that nowhere in Lebanon is truly safe.”

The school is trying to keep track of the whereabouts of the students and their families.

We will keep you up-to-date.