BEIRUT

Conditions in Beirut grow worse each day. After the enormous explosion on 4 August which killed nearly 200 and left 6,000 injured the city has struggled to bring order from the chaos. Hospitals and schools as well as winter food and medical supplies have been destroyed; the country’s infra- structure is on the point of collapse and the cabinet has resigned en masse.

I have been reassured to hear from friends and colleagues at NEST (Near East School of Theolo- gy) where I studied in 2018 but although they have survived the blast, their accounts reveal the extent of the damage and the suffering being endured throughout the city – as well as the chal- lenges ahead. Over 300,000 have been made homeless.
NEST has appealed to friends for support and solidarity. You will see a fuller report in our Sep- tember Magazine, and also news from Sylvia Haddad, who runs the school in the Sabra-Shatilla refugee camp which both Finlay and I have visited during our respective visits to Lebanon.
Thank you for your support and prayers.

Pamela Strachan, OLM

If you wish to contribute, our Treasurer, Ronald Ireland has arranged to receive cheques through the Church office.
Please make cheques payable to Peebles Old Parish Church of Scotland, clearly marked on the back: BEIRUT NEST Recovery and post them to the Church Office at High Street, Peebles, EH45 8SW

Alternatively, a contribution can be made through Christian Aid. Further detail for the Beirut appeal, here please https://www.christianaid.org.uk/