CAFOD works across the Middle East with people of all ethnicities and faiths to protect human rights and build peaceful communities.
The Middle East is the birthplace of the faith traditions of over half the world. But ongoing conflicts in the region are a threat to regional and global security. Whole communities have been reduced by these conflicts to situations of powerlessness and material deprivation, their basic human rights routinely violated and their dignity as persons not respected.
21st-century eruptions of conflict in the Middle East, particularly the war in Syria, have killed thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes in a desperate search for safety. CAFOD is supporting these refugees in Lebanon and surrounding countries, as well as providing shelter, food and warmth to those arriving in western Europe.
Meanwhile, those affected by older conflicts must not be forgotten: Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza) and in Israel or as refugees in neighbouring Lebanon are among the Middle East’s poorest and most disadvantaged groups.
How your donations help families in the Middle East
CAFOD works across the Middle East with people of all ethnicities and faiths to:
Provide protective advocacy, monitoring of rights abuses, and access to legal aid to ensure that people can live in dignity and peace, free from violence.
Help families to escape from the poverty trap through properly-paid work.
Encourage and enable young people and women to participate fully in society as active citizens, and contribute meaningfully to the building of social cohesion, peace and security for all.
Respond to the emergency needs arising from natural disasters and conflicts, and build community resilience and coping strategies.
Support advocacy initiatives that bring the concerns of our partners and the people and communities they serve to policy and influence makers in the UK and Europe.
News from the Middle East
CAFOD statement on the escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank
Elizabeth Funnell, Country Programme Representative for the Middle East at CAFOD, comments on the escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
CAFOD welcomes UK Government's decision to restore funding to UNRWA
This move is a critical step towards supporting the education, health and wellbeing of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA's essential services.
Syrians left with lowest funding as crisis hits 13-year peak
Funding pledged at Brussels VIII Conference to support Syria and the region falls short of the growing humanitarian needs in Syria, warned over 100 aid agencies.
CAFOD update from local organisations on the ground in Rafah
“There is nowhere left to host the people now being displaced from Rafah," says Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD's Middle East representative.
Israeli-Palestinian crisis update: How you can help the people of Gaza today
With your support, we can continue to provide practical help to families in Gaza right now.
CAFOD response to UN security council resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
The UK government must exert every effort to ensure that this resolution is implemented. As Pope Francis reminds us, peace cannot be achieved through arms.
Syria crisis update: 13 years of a forgotten war
Although the war in Syria is not making the headlines, it has not ended. It has left 90% of Syrians in poverty and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
CAFOD’s reaction to ICJ’s ruling on South Africa’s case alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza
The International Court of Justice has issued an interim ruling today on South Africa's genocide case against Israel.
100 days of conflict: Families in Gaza displaced multiple times, says CAFOD
Over 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza since the conflict began, with many families having to move multiple times.
Yemen update: Providing medical assistance in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises
CAFOD is working with a local Caritas sister agency that is responding in the south of Yemen, supporting families facing extreme poverty, disease, malnutrition and the common threat of violence.