The Sovereign Order of Malta has concluded the delivery of four tons of humanitarian aid to Lebanon to support the population affected by the ongoing conflict in the region.

This is the first shipment of humanitarian aid from Italy to Lebanon and a concrete sign of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s humanitarian commitment in Lebanon and the Middle East. The initiative organised by the Order of Malta included the delivery of blankets, clothes and basic necessities to deal with the emergency through two shipments of two tons each, the first on 24 October and the second on 30 October through the Italian Air Force’s flights.

"This initiative is a tangible sign of the Order of Malta’s commitment, which has always been present in war theatres all over the world, today in Lebanon as in Gaza. We are not indifferent to the pain that emerges from a country in which the Order of Malta is strongly active with its Lebanese National Association, which has been committed for 70 years to the most needy and vulnerable people with a network of services and constant action, also in favour of inter-religious dialogue,‘" declared the Grand Hospitaller Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis. "Our help, which is due to the cooperation of the Italian Relief Corps CISOM, the Order’s Military Corps ACISMOM and the crucial collaboration of the Italian Air Force, goes to help those in need, regardless of their creed.

‘Thanks to its neutrality and impartiality, the Order provides assistance globally, even in the most difficult circumstances, such as in Lebanon and Gaza. Our leadership for peace is manifested not only in words but, above all, in deeds,’ reiterated the Order of Malta’s Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, as also expressed recently at the United Nations Security Council in New York.

The Order of Malta, through its Association in Lebanon, is at the forefront in providing basic healthcare and social support services to the population through a network of 60 projects focusing on health, social assistance and agro-humanitarian initiatives. To address the IDP crisis, the Order of Malta has implemented several interventions in the regions of Akkar, Tripoli/Zgharta, Mount Lebanon, Beirut, Chouf, Jezzine, Western Bekaa, Baalback Hermel and Rass Baalback. So far, it has set up an outpatient clinic in the Ain el Remmaneh shelter, it is also offering medical examinations and medicines with the support of the field teams of its 9 community health centers and 8 Mobile Medical Units. It is also distributing daily hot meals through its permanent and mobile community kitchens in collective shelters across the country.