Beirut/Hadath Baalbek (Lebanon). Lebanon is fighting for its survival. While the world looks elsewhere, the sound of explosions has become the daily companion of thousands of families. Amidst this landscape of conflict and uncertainty, the schools of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Jesus Adolescent Province (MOR) stand firm as fragile bulwarks of peace, even as the burden of the situation becomes unsustainable.
“Even today, Easter Sunday, that sound can be heard! That unnerving, profane whistling of missiles falling one after another, stretching our nerves to the breaking point, while we fervently hope that this sound will not be our last!” This is the spontaneous cry of the FMA Sisters, who are enduring a grueling situation where hope is a flickering flame, one, however, that does not fade away.
The educational front: Hadath Baalbek e Kartaba
In the Hadath Baalbek area, the educational mission is being put to a severe test. Students who should be concerned only with books and games are living in a state of constant danger. Many of them are no longer able to reach their classrooms; the roads have become traps, and the lack of security turns every journey into a mortal risk. This dramatic reality also hits hard the students at the FMA school in Kartaba, where fear and the inability to move freely profoundly impact daily life.
Families without a home
Many students have seen their homes destroyed or damaged by bombings. They find themselves displaced, often staying with relatives in extremely overcrowded conditions, or in makeshift shelters.
Right to study denied
Due to the overwhelming number of displaced people seeking shelter wherever they can, many young people no longer have a dignified space in which to open a book. The precariousness and chaos of makeshift dwellings are extinguishing the very possibility of learning.
The Transport Paradox and Economic Collapse
Even for those who still have a home, coming to school has become an impossible luxury. There is no diesel; there is no gasoline. Transport vehicles are at a standstill, and fuel costs are unaffordable.
The continuous “forced holidays” caused by insecurity have created a vicious cycle. Parents, worn down by the rising cost of living, are unable to pay the full monthly fee to drivers for the days their children remain at home. Every single coin is counted toward immediate survival. This economic suffocation is felt heavily at the Tabarja–Kfaryassin School as well; parents are unable to pay tuition fees, not even a fraction of them. It is a collapse that engulfs the entire Lebanese people and jeopardizes the very sustainability of the FMA’s educational initiatives.
An unprecedented humanitarian crisis
The skyrocketing cost of living has emptied markets and pantries alike. Basic foodstuffs are in short supply, and hunger is a stark reality in the homes of these young people. The healthcare situation is equally critical; hospitals are overwhelmed, and the difficulty of movement hinders the supply of essential medicines. Anyone who falls ill today has no means of receiving treatment, trapped between the danger of bombs and the impossibility of reaching care centers.
Tensions and Insecurity
Compounding the complexity of the situation is the massive influx of refugees fleeing the hardest-hit areas. This demographic pressure is fueling intense social tensions and rendering the situation extremely uncertain and precarious. Prudence is no longer merely a recommendation; it is a rule of survival; every step must be measured beneath the constant shadow of danger.
The Cry of the FMA
Despite everything, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians are not abandoning the field. They continue to stand by families and seek solutions to ensure that young people are not left alone, yet they are in need of support. Their school is not merely a building; it is the heart of a community that refuses to surrender to the darkness.
”We live under bombs, amidst the uncertainty of tomorrow, yet with the duty to protect the future of our children. We ask for prayers, but also for concrete actions, so that Lebanon is not forgotten.” This is their heartfelt appeal.
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, together with all the Educating Communities of the Institute, continue to implore the powerful intercession of Mary Help of Christians for peace in Lebanon, in the Middle East, and in all the nations of the world torn apart by conflict, relying on the generosity and solidarity of all.
It is possible to send contributions and offers, in the ways indicated on the Website of the FMA Istitute, designating “Lebanon Emergency” in the reference line.
