CONTEXT & OBJECTIVE
In two countries scarred by conflict, economic crisis, and collapsing healthcare systems, we provide medical care, medications, and support to the most vulnerable: the elderly, children, and families with no income.
The Healthcare Emergency in Lebanon
Throughout 2025, Lebanon continued to grapple with a deep and structural crisis. Tensions with Israel maintained a widespread climate of insecurity, with frequent bombings in the South and the Bekaa Valley, while the economy continued to erode families' purchasing power. For the elderly living alone, for children, and for those living with chronic illnesses, accessing medical care has become nearly impossible without external help.
The Tripoli Dispensary
Our dispensary in Tripoli, open three afternoons a week, maintained a very high pace throughout the year: 5,244 medical consultations provided to adults and children, averaging 37 patients per shift. Eighty percent of the adults who turned to us are over 65 years old; these are elderly individuals who are often alone, with non-existent or negligible pensions, who would have no access to any assistance without this service.
We distributed 12,921 packages of medication, primarily for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. For the most severe cases (tests, surgeries, hospitalizations), we supported 36 families with average financial aid of around $200, often covering a significant portion of costs that would otherwise be unsustainable.
The Beirut Dispensary
In Beirut, we reached 1,460 patients in 2025, 64% of whom were women, distributing 7,159 packages of medication. This confirms just how eagerly awaited and necessary this healthcare outpost was in the capital.
On the food emergency front, we assessed the situation of 136 new families, analyzing income, health, housing conditions, and the presence of minors or disabilities. These assessments led to immediate responses: an average of 790 food and hygiene kits distributed each month, reaching approximately 3,000 people. For 24 families referred by the friars, we guaranteed a monthly financial contribution between $50 and $200 for rent and electricity generators, paid directly to the beneficiaries.
Rebuilding Care After the Collapse of the Regime
In Syria, 2025 brought radical political change, but living conditions on the ground remained incredibly harsh. The collapse of the regime at the end of the previous year was followed by months of severe instability: local clashes, struggling banks, complicated money transfers, high prices, and a widespread black market. The public healthcare system reduced or suspended many services, particularly for specialized care and surgeries, at the exact moment when families had the fewest resources to cope on their own.
The Damascus Dispensary
In Damascus, we kept the program for surgeries and specialized care active throughout the year, averaging 13 beneficiaries per month. In parallel, the chronic illness medication program covered 10 months of activity, starting with 400 patients in the first part of the year. We also launched and maintained monthly group psychosocial support sessions, tailored to the needs that emerged across various programs: a safe space for listening and processing in a context where mental health remains almost entirely under-resourced.
The Latakia Dispensary
In Latakia, the work was organized using a rigorous methodology: case referrals through the parish, individual interviews in a safe environment, and data collection on the household (including income, health, disability, dependent minors, debts, school expenses, and a needs assessment). Based on this, we activated seven lines of intervention.
The first and largest intervention was the medical-surgical and dispensary line:
- 1,600 beneficiaries in 2025.
- 150 people (mostly women) received monthly support.
- Coverage included: Partial or total payment for consultations, medical tests, medications, surgeries, and post-operative therapies.
In many cases, our contribution made treatments possible that would otherwise be entirely out of reach, especially for chronic illnesses and severe conditions requiring continuity of care. In a context where the public system has retreated, our parish network continues to stand as a vital point of reference.
