Emergency appeal for Lebanese families

Irish Jesuits International (IJI) have launched a Middle East emergency appeal to support refugees in Lebanon fleeing their homes », being bombed by Israeli forces.

IJI within the Xavier Network and the Jesuit Refugee Service Middle East & North Africa (JRS MENA), are present in Lebanon, accompanying communities who are directly affected by this instability and responding to the current emergency.

JRS in Lebanon has opened the doors of their centres to host people displaced by the violence, providing safe spaces, basic assistance, and ongoing support to families in need, mainly for migrant workers. They are also monitoring the evolving situation.

They say their commitment is to stand with those forced to flee and to ensure no one faces this crisis alone.

Michael Petro SJ, Emergency Shelter Director at St. Joseph Parish in Lebanon, has posted a video which is a powerful firsthand account from inside a church » that has once again become a refuge for those fleeing violence. Amid airstrikes, the church reopened its doors to families seeking safety.

In it, he tells how today, more than 170 people—primarily migrant workers and refugees—are sheltering inside St. Joseph Church. Many have nowhere else to go, as access to government shelters remains out of reach for the most vulnerable. Despite limited resources and a growing humanitarian crisis, the team continues to provide safety, dignity, and care.

“Children still play in the parking lot. Life continues in fragile ways,” he says, “But overhead, the sound of drones and fighter jets is a constant reminder of the reality outside.”

With numbers expected to rise, the need for support is urgent. So IJI is appealing to all to give what they can to support the displaced families in Lebanon. “Please give what you can today,” they ask, ” And thank you for standing with families in crisis.”