A series of intense military operations, including joint strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran’s strategic targets and leadership, has triggered widespread violence across the Middle East region. Iranian missile and drone attacks have also struck multiple countries. This surge in violence has resulted in significant civilian casualties and mass displacement, with people once more caught in the crossfire of regional hostilities.

As violence continues to escalate across the region, Lebanon is once again deeply affected. According to the Lebanese government, at least 58,000 displaced persons have sought protection in government shelters, but we know that there are many more who are not on the official registers. At times like these, it is always the most vulnerable who are exposed to greater risks.

In Beirut, the Jesuit church of St. Joseph has been turned again into a shelter hosting migrant workers who cannot find a place in the official sites. JRS’s education and livelihoods programmes across Lebanon have been suspended for security reasons, while we continue to carry on with basic assistance, protection and mental health and psychosocial support services for those most in need.

As we continue to monitor the situation, our commitment is clear: we stand with those who are forced to flee to ensure that no one faces this crisis alone.

The call for peace is not abstract. It is urgent. As Pope Leo XIV has affirmed, peace requires courage, dialogue, and a steadfast commitment to reconciliation. It is not simply the absence of violence, but the active choice to seek justice and protect human dignity. Lasting solutions to conflict can only be built on dialogue and mutual understanding. Without peace, cycles of displacement and suffering will continue to deepen.

Peace remains the only viable path forward. Until it is secured, we will continue to accompany those who suffer its absence.