Emergency aid launched in Beirut

In Beirut, members and partners of the EMS quickly initiated concrete relief measures. These include a project of the National Evangelical Church in Beirut (NECB) and the initiative of the Near East School of Theology (NEST), which we are reporting on today.

In the building of the National Protestant College (NPC), a former school in the neighbourhood of NEST, a community of more than 300 displaced people – mostly Shiite, including over 50 children – has formed within a few days. NEST staff and students welcome them with great warmth.

“The families we shelter are extremely grateful to the Protestant congregation,” says Professor Martin Accad, President of NEST. “The NPC building has become a safe haven for them – and given the current challenges in Lebanon, that cannot be taken for granted.”

In Beirut, Shiite families often face the blanket suspicion of being affiliated with Hezbollah, which maintains bases in the south of the country. This makes it all the more important to provide them with a safe and protected environment.

Cooking own meals – a piece of normality and dignity

The aid team ensures that families receive fresh food such as vegetables, fruit, chicken, and basic supplies. Unlike many NGO centers, the NPC has a kitchen with a refrigerator and freezer – allowing people to prepare their own meals.

This approach brings several advantages:

- Cost efficiency: A self-cooked meal costs around 2 USD per person, significantly less than prepackaged rations, which cost at least 5 USD and generate large amounts of plastic waste.
- Cultural appropriateness: Families can cook with familiar ingredients and spices.
- Preservation of autonomy and dignity: Especially women emphasize how important it is for them to be able to cook for their families. This strengthens their well-being and mental health.

NEST programs for children and youth

Fifteen students as well as several staff and faculty members of NEST offer educational and recreational programs for the displaced children and youth once or twice a week – including arts and crafts and sports activities. NEST plans to continue and expand these programs.

“With modest means, these programs already have a profoundly positive impact on the children, whose daily lives are heavily burdened by flight and displacement,” says Martin Accad.