For Alea’s family in northern Syria, their cotton farm provided for all their needs. ‘We were in heaven in Syria,’ she says. She stayed as long as she could after the bombing began in 2011. The family would hide in the space between the wall and the fridge when they heard planes overhead. Alea was pregnant and frightened, but when her children began begging her for bread she knew it was time to run.

We are so grateful for all the donations we have received in response to the blast in Beirut on August 4th – thank you. The explosion was the latest in a series of crises for the people of Lebanon, compounded by the surging of Covid-19 cases and a severe economic slump, further exacerbating urgent needs across the country. Our partner in Beirut met the lady above while distributing temporary shelter kits six days after the explosion. She said: "I’m 70, and I’m the youngest among my two other sisters. We live in a small house here. I don’t believe we are still alive. God loves Lebanon. With all the destruction and the force of the blast, we are still breathing, we can still see, hear, and understand what’s going on. I can still walk, although my leg is injured, my other sisters are up there, tired and in pain. I went out to bring some food home. We don’t have electricity and water, but they promised us to solve this issue soon Thank you for being here, you will help Beirut rise again. The young generation is our hope.” Photo: Young volunteers from churches across Beirut distribute warm meals to families who have lost their homes and help clean up the streets. Credit: MERATH Our partner in Beirut is providing temporary housing and specialised on-site medical care, food and trauma counselling. Food vouchers and ready meals are being distributed to people whose homes are no longer safe to cook or prepare meals in. Children who live close to the blast are being given an opportunity to play in a supervised space that has been cleared of debris. Activity kits have been prepared for them to relieve some of the pressure on their parents as they reorganise their lives. Elie Haddad, President of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) who is helping to lead the churches’ response in Lebanon shares: "If you go to Beirut today, you don’t have to look far to see the hands and feet of Jesus.” Cover Photo: 70-year lady in Beirut is grateful for surviving the blast and for the help she receives from young church volunteers. Credit: MERATH