BEIRUT — Over 200 Iraqi refugees gathered at the Chaldean church in Hazmiyeh, just 6 kilometers (4 miles) outside of Beirut on the morning of March 17 to receive aid from In Defense of Christians, an American group that aims to assist in the cultural preservation of Christianity in the Middle East.
In recent months, thousands of Iraqis have flooded into Lebanon, and nearly 3,000 families have reported to the Chaldean church. “It’s been a disaster,” Father Denha Youssef told Al-Monitor. Of those who have come to the church, Youssef has personally visited over 700 families.
