Aid to the Church in Need (Malta) has launched an appeal for an emergency food programme to help and assist the suffering Christian faithful in Beirut.
In a few seconds on 4 th August 2020, more damage to the Christian quarter of Beirut was caused than throughout the long years of civil war. At least 100 people were killed and 4,000 others were injured when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a
warehouse exploded.
Speaking to ACN Malta from Beirut, the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Mgr. Joseph Spiteri,said: “I was in the Nunciature, some 20 kilometres away, when the explosion happened. Notwithstanding the distance, the explosion felt like a car bomb next door. It caused huge damage and devastation within a radius of three kilometres, but windows were shattered as far as 10 kilometres away. A good part of the Christian zone of Beirut is severely damaged with at least 10 churches, four hospitals and six schools heavily affected, some 300,000 people are homeless, while many livelihoods are totally destroyed by the blast.
International help is urgently needed but what is of absolute necessity right now is food and medicine. I plead to all Maltese of good will to support the appeal of ACN Malta.” ACN (Malta) director, Stephen Axisa, explained: “In day-to-day circumstances, we appeal to the
constant generosity of our benefactors, but in this case, due to the urgency and the extent of the catastrophe in Beirut, we are appealing to all Maltese to help ease the suffering of our brothers and sisters by supporting our emergency food programme. ACN is thankful to all donors who, in their compassion, are going to reach out through this appeal to our fellow human beings in Beirut.”
The Maltese Foreign Minister the Hon Evarist Bartolo called Mons Spiteri to express solidarity and said the Government will be helping.
Prior to the explosion, Lebanon has been facing a long-running economic crisis, loss in fiscal revenues and additional pressure on public services, apart from widespread effects of the coronavirus.
Moreover, the country is ill-equipped to deal with the emergency. Eight years into the Syrian crisis, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of Syrian and Palestinian refugees per capita.
Christians were originally the majority of the population in Lebanon, but many have migrated or are working abroad. Christians now constitute between 36 and 40% of the population, but they still offer a very significant contribution to the nation. The Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group, alongside other Catholic and Orthodox Rites. The rest of the population is composed mainly of Sunni, Shiite and Druze communities. Aid to the Church in Need is appealing for prayer for the victims and their families.
Donations can be transfered to IBAN: MT72APSB 7705 7008 5772 2000 1771 733. To find out more about the commitment and projects of ACN (Malta) and how to be a part of its mission, kindly visit www.acnmalta.org, call 21487818 or send an email to info@acnmalta.org
Photo: Mons Joseph Spiteri with young volunteers in Beirut
