Middle East Crisis Appeal
Over a million people have fled their homes in Lebanon.
You can help
Conflict has forced a million people from their homes in Lebanon. Shelters are overwhelmed. Families are going without food, medicine, and water. Will you help today?
The escalating conflict and Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis has left public institutions without the capacity to respond to the huge scale of human need and suffering. The situation is deteriorating daily.
UnitingWorld is supporting the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) ‘Light of Hope’ appeal through the Act Alliance to reach 46,000 displaced families in Beirut and South Lebanon with urgent food, clean water, medicine and basic shelter.
The needs on the ground:
Food
Families arrive with nothing. Cooking facilities are non-existent. Ready-to-eat food parcels are the difference between eating and going hungry.
Clean water
Shelters face critical shortages. Overcrowding is creating dangerous sanitation conditions and disease risk, especially for children.
Medicine
Thousands of chronically ill people — diabetics, heart patients — fled without their medications. Without treatment, lives are at risk.
Basic shelter support
Schools repurposed as shelters need diesel for generators, cleaning kits, and blankets to function at even minimum standards of dignity.
"The work of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is not only to respond to needs, but to stand present in the midst of suffering — to affirm dignity where it is most at risk of being lost. Through every distribution, every visit, every word of comfort, a simple but vital message is carried: you are not alone."
— Nina Hallak, Diakonia Department, MECC
Your gift in action
The MECC's Light of Hope relief operation is already underway. Working through local churches, municipalities, and trusted community networks, MECC can reach families that no one else can. Here's what your donation makes possible:
- $25 provides a blanket or baby milk for a displaced infant and family
- $60 provides a full food parcel, enough to feed a family through the immediate emergency
- $150 provides two emergency food parcels and hygiene supplies for two families
- $210 delivers direct cash assistance to a displaced family, giving them the dignity of choosing their most urgent need
- $500 provides emergency support to multiple families: food, hygiene, water, and medicines
“Amidst this deepening pain, something profoundly human refuses to disappear. Across shelters, churches, and communities, quiet acts of compassion continue to unfold. A shared meal. A blanket offered. A hand held a little longer. These are not grand gestures, but they are powerful reminders that even when structures collapse, Humanity does not.
— Nina Hallak, Diakonia Department, MECC
Who are the responding partners?
UnitingWorld is supporting The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) ‘Light of Hope’ Appeal through the ACT Alliance.
MECC is one of the oldest and most trusted ecumenical bodies in the region. Founded in the spirit of service and solidarity, MECC works across Lebanon, Syria, and the broader Middle East, with direct access to communities through its network of local churches and volunteers.
MECC works in close coordination with Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, the Disaster Risk Management Unit, local municipalities, and international humanitarian partners, ensuring aid is targeted, accountable, and reaches those most in need regardless of background or faith.
The Act Alliance is a global network of 145 churches and related agencies engaged in development, humanitarian and advocacy work. UnitingWorld is a member.
Our commitments
- Aid delivered to all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, background, gender or political affiliation.
- Aid targeted to most vulnerable, including elderly, orphans, widows, single parent families, people with disabilities and people who have chronic illnesses and have been exposed to traumatic events.
- Transparent monitoring and post-distribution accountability
- Local church networks ensure dignified, trusted delivery
UnitingWorld is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global network of 145 churches and related agencies engaged in development, humanitarian and advocacy work. All donations made here will be directed to ACT Alliance members in the region to provide urgent humanitarian support. Photos and information on this page from ACT Alliance.
Your gift helps deliver urgent relief to people and communities devastated by conflict and displacement. Please give generously.
Direct deposit / bank transfer
(click for details)
Account Name: UCA Assembly Limited UnitingWorld Donations
Account Number: 182657
BSB: 032-014
Privacy and transparency
UnitingWorld is the international aid and partnerships agency of the Uniting Church in Australia.
All gifts of $2 or more are tax-deductible. Your personal information will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected and will not be disclosed to any person, body or agency except where required by law. Click here to read our full Privacy Policy. In the event that funds raised exceed the amount needed for a certain project, funds will be used for other UnitingWorld projects.
UnitingWorld is accredited by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), responsible for managing Australia’s aid program. To maintain accreditation, UnitingWorld's systems, policies and processes are rigorously reviewed by the Australian Government.
UnitingWorld is also a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), which holds us accountable to the highest standards of governance, financial transparency and effectiveness in our work.
