Since 1947, 547,000 Palestinian homes have been destroyed in Israel and occupied Palestine. The impact of this on Palestinian children, women and men is incalculable and the destruction is ongoing. Revd Su McClellan details what she witnessed in her latest visit to the West Bank and what Christians can do to respond.

The media reports on Gaza have diminished, but this doesn’t mean the situation is getting better – far from it. Conditions are catastrophic, and our partners there warn that they are getting worse.‍ ‍We’ve the latest update on the health situation there and the headline issues that our partners say need urgent intervention.

The recent years of escalating conflict across the Middle East have not only destroyed homes and communities, but has left many battling with mental health issues from profound trauma, stress, and ever-present sense of insecurity. This spiralling mental health crisis needs urgent intervention – and we and our partners are responding, helping young people as they work to rebuild their lives and build a more hopeful tomorrow. Some have bravely shared their stories with us.

Often referred to as the 'Living Stones', the Christians and their neighbours are facing extreme pressure across the MENA landscape.

International Lawyer Dr Harry Hagopian and Embrace’s Dr Ruth Valerio discuss the challenges facing Christians of the Middle East in these turbulent times.

Thousands of children in Gaza have sustained life-changing injuries in the recent war. Thousands more have chronic conditions and disabilities that have deteriorated over the last two years because they’ve been unable to access the medical support they need. A team of specialists from the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre are providing vital treatment and rehabilitation therapies.

‘The peace of God calls us to look beneath political rhetoric. It invites us to confront the human realities of suffering and dispossession. It calls us to resist confusion or complacency when the world declares ‘peace’ yet turns away from injustice.’

Saleem Anfous - Project Manager, Musalaha

Our Christian partners in the Middle East reflect on where they see Emmanuel this Christmas, revealing how God is at work in their communities and how the light of Christ continues to overcome the darkest of situations.

Joseph Hazboun, the Regional Director of the PMP, sent us this update from Jerusalem, warning of the catastrophic situations now facing many there, including the rapidly-shrinking Christian communities, but also reinforcing the PMP’s faith and commitment to keep serving.

“As winter sets in, the hardship grows even more severe, more than half of Gaza’s population is living in tents or beneath the remains of destroyed homes, many of which have already flooded from the rain…” Our partner the DSPR give an update on the situation in Gaza and their continuing work on the ground there.