The crisis in Lebanon has reached a point of total exhaustion after the fragile ceasefire collapsed on February 28, 2026. Mariella Boutros, ACN project coordinator, states that the feeling in the country is «overwhelmingly bad» as airstrikes intensify and the number of displaced people reaches one million. After six years of barely surviving, the renewed conflict has pushed the local population and aid partners to their limits.
A fragile peace shattered overnight
The escalation followed a US-Israeli attack on Iran that killed its Supreme Leader. On March 13 alone, airstrikes in Beirut claimed another 25 lives. The Ministry of Public Health reports a total of 678 deaths and 1,774 injuries since the conflict resumed, including the deaths of Fr. Pierre El-Raï and 70-year-old Sami Ghafari in Christian border villages.
Mariella Boutros describes the overwhelming atmosphere of despair:
“Our partners and us also, we are tired, we are really underwater with this war. (…) Whenever we think that things are getting better, a new thing happens that brings us back to square one, even square zero with this war, because the overwhelming feeling is really very bad”.
The Church as a stronghold in the crisis in Lebanon
Currently, 550 shelters have opened across the country to house some of the estimated one million displaced persons. Churches have opened their doors to all in need, even though their capacity is strained by the ongoing operation of schools, hospitals, and orphanages. For the Christian community, the Church’s presence is essential to prevent a total exodus from the region.
“The church is really a rock in Lebanon. The fall of the Church and its institutions will lead to an exodus of all Christians. The fall of the Church will be the fall of all Christians in the Middle East”.
While ACN provides emergency funds for food and medicine, the ultimate goal remains community-building to keep people rooted in their land. The Church’s mission is to stand next to the faithful, offering a place to pray and live the mission of Christ together.
