Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Alistair Dutton, visited Caritas Lebanon Headquarters in Sin El Fil, where he was received by its President Father Michel Abboud, in the presence of board members, directors, and Heads of departments, along with representatives of Caritas sisters from all over the world present in Lebanon.
Father Abboud began the session by addressing “the difficult situation in Lebanon, which is becoming more complex day after day, and the challenges facing the Lebanese people, as most of them find their salaries insufficient for more than a few days.” He also mentioned “the new poor who now turn to Caritas for medicines, financial support, or material aid, after previously providing support and assistance to it.”
He said: “Today, we rely on the solidarity of our Caritas sisters and the aid we receive from abroad to support the citizens, as Caritas services are distributed across all Lebanese regions and reach all citizens without any racial, religious, or ethnic discrimination.”
Father Abboud emphasized that “Caritas Lebanon will not cease its humanitarian mission, but it needs your support to continue.”
Dutton, on the other hand, expressed his admiration for the “love and great care he witnessed in the services provided by Caritas Lebanon workers” and said: “Im always proud and impressed by what you do, and I know that Caritas members around the world are similarly impressed by your great work. It’s wonderful to have such strong and active member in the confederation like Caritas Lebanon, a member present here in Lebanon and in the Middle East.” He added: “Obviously, Caritas Lebanon, is over 50 years old now, and still serving many different populations that have been present here in the country. One of the things that really caught my attention, and that I haven’t seen it done anywhere else, but was really impressive, is the work you’ve been doing and continue to do with foreign workers and refugees coming here, and which is truly outstanding.”
In addition, Caritas Lebanon managers provided a detailed explanation of the work of their respective departments.
The meeting concluded with a dinner in the honor of the attendees.