{"id":620,"date":"2026-03-30T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/?post_type=news&p=620"},"modified":"2026-03-30T13:27:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:27:06","slug":"crisis-in-the-middle-east-order-of-malta-continues-its-commitment-in-the-region","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/news\/crisis-in-the-middle-east-order-of-malta-continues-its-commitment-in-the-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Crisis in the Middle East: Order of Malta continues its commitment in the region"},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-620","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"hidden_news":"no","evidence":"yes","focus_on":"no","breaking":"yes","news_cover":{"id":621,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/Crisis-in-the-Middle-East-Doctors.jpeg"},"cover_image_copyrighted":false,"sub_title":"Appeal for respect of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians ","news_content":"

Rome, 23 March 2026<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 <\/strong>The Sovereign Order of Malta is following with great concern the evolution of the humanitarian situation in the Middle East, where the military escalation and ongoing conflicts are\u00a0worsening already extremely fragile conditions for millions of people. In a region that\u00a0for years\u00a0has hosted a high number of refugees and displaced persons, the intensification of hostilities is increasing humanitarian needs and placing further pressure on healthcare systems and local communities.<\/p>\n

In this context, the Order of Malta recalls the various appeals for peace and dialogue made by Pope Leo XIV, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic\u00a0methods\u00a0and negotiated solutions to avoid a further deterioration of the regional situation.<\/p>\n

The Order also reiterates the need to respect\u00a0international humanitarian law and\u00a0its\u00a0application\u00a0in all circumstances to ensure the protection of civilian populations and health and humanitarian workers and to guarantee safe access to aid.<\/p>\n

The concern and commitment of the Order of Malta in Lebanon\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is particular concern\u00a0about\u00a0the situation in Lebanon, a country already deeply affected by years of economic, political, and social crisis and by\u00a0previous\u00a0conflicts. The deterioration of security has caused hundreds of victims and a rapid increase in internally displaced persons, now over one million, forced to leave their homes. Within this context, there is the hope for a ceasefire that alleviates\u00a0the suffering of the population and paves the way for the stabilization of the country, historically characterized by coexistence among different religious and ethnic communities.<\/p>\n

Among the victims of the conflict is\u00a0Chadi Ammar<\/strong>, a young member of the Order of Malta staff in Lebanon, who was killed in an airstrike\u00a0in\u00a0the town of A\u00efn Ebel. Ammar was involved in\u00a0agro-humanitarian programs dedicated to food security in the southern region of the country.<\/p>\n

Despite the deteriorating\u00a0situation, the Order of Malta continues to operate throughout Lebanon\u00a0with\u00a0a network of health, social, and agricultural programs that include primary healthcare centres, mobile medical units,\u00a0agro-humanitarian centres and mobile community kitchens, as well as the distribution of food and basic necessity kits to displaced families. These\u00a0activities are also supported by the Order\u2019s international relief agency, Malteser International, which\u00a0flanks\u00a0local teams in the humanitarian emergency response.<\/p>\n

The Order of Malta in the Middle East<\/strong><\/p>\n

The activities in Lebanon are part of a\u00a0broader\u00a0presence of the Order of Malta in the Middle East, where for many years it has been carrying out health, social and humanitarian programmes in several countries of the region, including Palestine,\u00a0Syria\u00a0and Iraq.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Palestine<\/strong>, in Bethlehem, Ordre de Malte France runs the Hospital of the Holy Family, a reference point for maternity and neonatology in the region. Since 1990, over 110,000 babies have been born, approximately 4,000 each year, and the facility is the only centre\u00a0in the area equipped with neonatal intensive care for babies born before the 32nd week. In the Gaza Strip, through Malteser International and in collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, approximately 200 tons of food aid have been distributed to thousands of families since 2024.\u00a0In addition, the Mar Youssef (St. Joseph) Primary Health Care Clinic in Gaza City\u00a0was set up, designed to provide essential health services \u2013\u00a0including internal medicine and family medicine\u00a0\u2013 and ensure access to basic medicines in a context where health\u00a0facilities operate far beyond their capacity and basic services are severely compromised. In view of the massive displacement of the population to the central and southern areas of the Strip, the Order of Malta also\u00a0plans to\u00a0open a second clinic in Deir al-Balah, to offer basic health services to both the local population and internally displaced persons in areas close to the Khan Younis area.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Syria<\/strong>, the Order supports eight hospitals and primary health-care centres in the northern regions, particularly in the Idlib and Aleppo areas, where outpatient services, immunization and nutrition programmes are provided, as well as interventions in the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) sector for displaced communities. In 2022, over one million treatments were provided. Following the February 2023 earthquake, Malteser International coordinated emergency aid from the EU and Germany, supporting hospital repairs, allowances for healthcare workers and providing hygiene kits, medical supplies, and support for food and medical campaigns in Aleppo. In 2024, livelihood programs were expanded in northern Syria and\u00a0Turkey, supporting farmers with agricultural inputs and female-headed households with food processing training, equipment, and \u201ccash-for-work\u201d\u00a0initiatives.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Iraq<\/strong>, a country once again exposed to regional tensions, Ordre de Malte France supports the Fraternit\u00e9\u00a0en\u00a0Irak\u00a0association, which provides assistance to religious minorities victims of violence, and the Mary Mercy Centre, run by the Diocese of\u00a0Souleymanie\u00a0and dedicated to the rehabilitation of children with autism-spectrum disorders through language therapy, sensory rehabilitation, and hyperactivity treatment programs. For several years, Malteser International has been active in the Nineveh Plains, where humanitarian\u00a0assistance\u00a0and reconstruction programs \u2013\u00a0supported by a total allocation of \u20ac30 million\u00a0\u2013 have encouraged the return of Christian communities and other religious minorities displaced by the Da\u2019esh\u00a0violence. The initiatives have contributed to the reconstruction of housing and infrastructure, support for local economic activities and promotion of coexistence among the region’s various ethno-religious communities.<\/p>\n

The Order of Malta is determined to continue its commitment to supporting the populations of the region, by providing humanitarian,\u00a0health\u00a0and social\u00a0assistance\u00a0in increasingly complex contexts. To this end, it calls for growing support from public and private donors, which is essential to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of its interventions.<\/p>\n

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta<\/strong>, born in Jerusalem in the second half of the 11th century, is a primary subject of international law and Catholic and lay religious order. Its mission is to bear witness to the faith and assist the poor and sick. Today the Order of Malta is mainly active in health and social care and humanitarian aid, operating in over 130 countries. Together with its 13,500 members, it has 100,000 volunteers supported by some 60,000 doctors, nurses and paramedics. The Order manages hospitals, healthcare clinics, out-patient units, institutes for the elderly and disabled, palliative care centres as well as projects for health and social care and psychological assistance for migrants and refugees. Malteser International, the Order of Malta\u2019s international relief agency, provides emergency aid in war zones and during natural disasters. The Order is currently engaged in over 70 regions in Ukraine and bordering countries. In the Middle East it assists those affected by the conflicts, particularly in Lebanon and Gaza (with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem), and manages the only hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit in Bethlehem.\u00a0 The Order of Malta\u2019s Italian Relief Corps participates in migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0 The Order of Malta is neutral, impartial and apolitical. It has bilateral diplomatic relations with 115 States, official relations with another 4 States, and relations at ambassadorial level with the European Union and African Union. It is a Permanent Observer to the United Nations and is represented in the main international organizations. Since 1834, the seat of the Order of Malta\u2019s government has been in Rome. The 81st Grand Master is Fra\u2019 John T. Dunlap.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"yes","news_gallery_elements":[{"id":625,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/Crisis-in-the-Middle-East-Mobile-Kitchen.jpeg"},{"id":623,"url":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2026\/03\/Crisis-in-the-Middle-East-Volunteers.jpeg"}],"news_excerpt":"The Sovereign Order of Malta is following with great concern the evolution of the humanitarian situation in the Middle East, where the military escalation and ongoing conflicts are\u00a0worsening already extremely fragile conditions for millions of people."},"news_categories":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/620\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montenegroembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}