
Mohamed and his family in an Informal Tent Settlements (ITS) in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
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 Israel-Hamas ceasefire
We welcome the news that a deal has been agreed for a four-day ceasefire allowing for the release of 50 hostages and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
CAFOD statement on the deaths of local partner staff in Gaza
We are devastated to share the tragic news that several staff members at one of our local partners operating within Gaza have been killed.
Israeli-Palestinian Crisis: How you can help
Our local partners are actively responding and providing urgent humanitarian aid to those in need. Your donation today will make a massive difference to those caught up in the conflict.
Israeli-Palestinian crisis: Calls for ceasefire shared with Foreign Secretary
Calls from thousands of CAFOD supporters for the UK government to push for a ceasefire have been shared with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Christian leaders call for a just peace in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory
CAFOD has joined Christian Aid and Church leaders to call for an immediate end to the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
Pope Francis holds day of fasting and prayer and Latin Patriarch calls for ‘mercy and justice’
Today Pope Francis is holding a second day of prayer, fasting and penance for world peace, as the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) continues to escalate.
Statement on airstrike on St Porphyrios Church hall in Gaza
We are shocked to hear from our partner at Caritas Jerusalem that a staff member along with her child and husband were killed when the hall adjacent to the St Porphyrios Church in Gaza was struck.
CAFOD launches appeal for crisis in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory and urges civilians to be put first
CAFOD has launched an appeal following the escalation of violence in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
CAFOD calls on UK government to protect citizens in Israel-Gaza conflict
We, at CAFOD, are joining the calls of faith leaders from around the world, including Pope Francis, who have called for an immediate cessation of all violence.
World Humanitarian Day: Responding to emergencies on your behalf
Saturday 19 August marks World Humanitarian Day, an international day which honours humanitarian workers and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes.