25,000 receiving aid from Caritas Lebanon

Madrid, Spain, Jul 24, 2006 / 22:00 pm

In response to the urgent humanitarian crisis brought on by the fighting in the Middle East, Caritas Lebanon has provided food, medicine and water to more than 25,000 people affected by the conflict.

The humanitarian organization has sent out trucks carrying potable water and food to areas of Lebanon that are most in need.  “We are doing what we can, but in some cities the Caritas teams are totally isolated, there is no communication with them, we cannot get in and they cannot get out of those areas because the roads and bridges are destroyed,” said Father Louis Samaha, director of Caritas Lebanon.

 “One of the problems we are facing is the excessive increase in prices,” he explained.  “Gas has gone up 50 cents, and some basic necessities cannot be purchased because of the increase, and so we are also distributing purchasing coupons.”

In the Gaza Strip, Father Manuel Musallam said there people are in need of food, potable water, electricity, candles and medicine.  The bombing has destroyed generators and so we cannot preserve food and water pumps are not working.”

“Without gas there is no transportation, and those who need it can’t come. Therefore we will have to send them first aid kits so that they can take care of themselves or of the people close to them,” said Bandali El-Saigh, director of the Caritas Medical Center in Gaza.

Likewise, Caritas Jerusalem has already distributed more than 500 rations of food, 23 first aid kits and 750 food coupons. Some three thousand more units of food will be distributed in coordination with religious leaders of the churches of Jerusalem.

The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has left more than 500,000 people displaced, many of whom have taken refuge in schools, convents and public buildings.  Some 18,000 have fled to Jordan.