Lebanon (MNN) — It’s been over six weeks since Lebanon’s president left office. The parliament has failed to elect a new one, despite meeting nine times.
This isn’t the first time Lebanon has gone without a President, says Camille Melki with Heart for Lebanon. “In fact, this is the third time we have had an extended vacuum in the top role of our Lebanese leadership. Now, the difference this year from all others is that we are also without a prime minister and without a ruling government. So basically, we have a vacuum in all the executive levels.”
“We have a caretaker government that is not allowed to convene by the constitution.”
Parliament can only meet to elect a new president. So nothing is getting done in Lebanon. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund can’t aid the country. Melki says, “Think about it in a US context. All lights are off at the White House. All lights are off anywhere else except Congress. That is only allowed to convene to elect a president.”
Economic troubles
In 2022, over 65 percent of all Lebanese households could not pay for heating. Over 55 percent couldn’t afford clothing or education. Over 40 percent couldn’t afford medicine or transportation.
Despite this, less than five percent of Lebanese households received government assistance. Melki says, “We have doubled the refugee families that we serve, as well as the Lebanese families that we serve. We have doubled the student population, which is still a small drop in the bucket. We are loving and caring for 5000 roughly 5000 families every month. That’s an average of 28,000 individuals.”
Pray the love of Jesus would touch many lives in Lebanon. And ask God to strengthen the staff at Heart for Lebanon. Melki says, “When there are so many needs around you, caregivers get tired. They see, day in and day out, the same stories. They experienced the same hardships. It makes us physically and emotionally tired.”
Header photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon on Facebook.
