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Caring for Orphans and Abandoned children in a war zone

August 3, 2007

On June 4th, 2007, clashes between the Lebanese Army and the Jund al-Sham militant group in Sidon, Lebanon, forced abandoned and orphaned children from SOS Children’s Village Sferai and youngsters from SOS youth homes in a suburb of Saida to remain in the relative safety of their homes.

SOS Children’s Village Sferai was affected by the fighting nearby, and as a precaution all of the children, like most of the children in the south of Lebanon, stayed at home Sunday evening. Lina Sarkis, assistant national director for administration at the Lebanese SOS Children’s Villages association, said co-workers have made sure that there are enough supplies in the children’s village in case the violence escalates. The youths in the SOS youth houses of Abra are also safe at home and have enough supplies case of an emergency.

It seems as though our wishes and hopes are far from being realized,” said Sarkis. “We were just informed by the soldiers from the neighboring army barracks [next door to the SOS Children’s Village] that they arrested a person with a bag containing 30 kilograms of explosives, trying to plant it right under our windows.” Fighting began when a militant threw a hand grenade at an army checkpoint just outside the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, according to news reports. At least five people were injured in the ensuing conflict.

SOS Children’s Village Sferai is the second largest SOS children’s Villages in Lebanon. The village consists of 10 family houses which houses orphaned and abandoned children, along with their brothers and sisters who are all cared for by an SOS mother.

Topics: Childrens Village news, Orphans, Middle East, Child Abandonment |