The Middle East

The part of the world known as “the Middle East” spans many countries. ABM AID chiefly works in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Lebanon – countries and territories that are part of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. The area is steeped in religious history, and Palestine is, of course, “the land of the Holy One,” or “Holy Land,” where Jesus was born, conducted his earthly ministry, and died.

Since World War 2, with the gradual occupation of most of Palestine by the newly-formed State of Israel, Israel and Palestine have been sites of conflict. Gaza has been the scene of a protracted war with Israel since October 2023 and the conflict has also led to violence in the West Bank and Lebanon. The World Bank states that “Close to half a million jobs have been lost in the Palestinian economy since October 2023. This includes an estimated loss of 200,000 jobs in the Gaza Strip, 144,000 jobs in the West Bank, and that of 148,000 cross-border commuters from the West Bank to the Israeli labour market.”

In Lebanon, the economy, already in crisis, has been made worse by the current conflict. It is classified as a “lower-middle income country” by the World Bank and ranks 109th out of 193 in the World Development Index. The country has a population of around 5.5 million people.

Our Partner

The Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East comprises three dioceses: Jerusalem, which includes the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Gaza Strip and Israel, as well as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon; the Diocese of Iran; and the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.

AID chiefly works with the Diocese of Jerusalem (DoJ) which has almost thirty parishes and manages more than 30 social outreach institutions, including hospitals, clinics, educational facilities including some for people living with disabilities, guesthouses, and retirement homes.

Against a background of many challenges, the DoJ is very active in its social outreach ministry, aiming to provide quality healthcare and education to local communities, especially those on very low incomes. It also works to build up interfaith dialogue between Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the five countries and territories in which it works.

ABM and AID have supported the diocese for many years, through funded projects, the Good Friday Gift, and various emergency appeals. Many ABM AID supporters will remember the community outreach of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza to educate mothers about health, nutrition, self-esteem and communication skills, and to improve the health outcomes of malnourished and underweight children in the Gaza Strip. This very successful “women-to-women” approach, as well as the hospital’s outreach to improve child nutrition, has sadly had to be suspended because of the ongoing conflict.

The Work We Support

1. Saviour Arab Evangelical School in Jordan

This co-educational school was established in 1955. Spanning Kindergarten to Year 12, the school provides an inclusive, academic education for about 255 students in the industrial city of Zarqa, Jordan. It also offers the city’s only program for vision-impaired students.

ABM AID’s support in 2025 will contribute to the renovation and improvements in the school’s courtyard/play area and the installation of a system of solar panels designed to save the school electricity bills and contribute to a safer environment for all by reducing CO2 emissions.

2. Responses to impacts of conflict in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon

ABM AID continues to support the emergency response of DoJ to the impacts of the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, including providing

• Vital care to patients at Al Ahli Hospital and the field clinic in Khan Younis, Gaza.
• Subsidised services for those most in need at St Luke’s Hospital, Nablus (outpatients and in-patients) and at Penmen Clinic in Zababdeh-Jenin, and a Kindergarten in Nablus.
• Quality education and vocational training for about 50 children and young adults with disabilities who come from low-income families at St Luke’s Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Mery, just outside of Beirut, Lebanon.

You can read more of ABM AID’s ongoing appeal for Gaza and the West Bank here.

How You Can Help

Saviour Arab Evangelical School provides special education for vision-impaired students alongside their normally sighted peers.

How you can help…

• $65 is the cost per child of renovating the playground at Saviour School in Jordan
• $75 is the cost per child of installing solar panels at Saviour School to reduce CO2 emissions and save on electricity costs.

Your support makes a profound difference to vision impaired children and gives hope to their families by providing quality inclusive educational opportunities. Together we bring hope and joy to vulnerable children and their families.