EDF grants continue Nigeria Crisis Response, support Lebanese affected by war

Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to continued support for the Nigeria Crisis Response as well as to support people in Lebanon who are affected by the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Nigeria Crisis Response

An additional allocation of $95,000 supports the Nigeria Crisis Response through the 2026 planned response. Since 2014, the EDF has given a total of $6,585,000 to this effort, aiding 5 response partners, helping Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) endure ongoing crisis, and providing extensive humanitarian aid and recovery assistance for some of the most vulnerable people.

There has been progress, but the need is still great in Nigeria. Ongoing violence has added to great economic disparity, so that Nigeria has more people living in extreme poverty than any other country. The security situation is increasingly complicated as different groups spread terror and destruction. The primary violence includes attacks from the original Boko Haram group, the split-off group Islamic State in West Africa Province, ethnic conflict, and conflict between herders and farmers.

The ongoing violence and lack of security continues to heavily impact EYN, especially making it unsafe to travel. Travel plans have to be modified or canceled based on the current security situation. Over the years, several church leaders and thousands of church members have been killed, and others have been kidnapped, with some being released after a ransom is paid. EYN reports an increase in kidnappings, the continued killing of people, vandalism, and increased crime.

After 12 years of the Nigeria Crisis Response, 2026 will be the last year of an annually planned program. Over the last three years, the funding has been reduced as part of a planned transition. After 2026, grant requests from EYN will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The 2026 response plan focuses on supporting the resettlement in Nigeria of families from the refugee camp in Cameroon. This includes the repair or rebuilding of 30 homes, providing food to 800 households as they reestablish homes and farms, medical care, and cash assistance to families that do not receive food assistance. In this reduced budget, 60 children will receive education scholarships.

The December 2025, US military missile strikes against terrorist groups in northwest Nigeria spurred new attacks on seven villages as Boko Haram fled the area. To help address the needs of these newly displaced families, $10,000 has been added to the planned EDF grant of $80,000.

Lebanon

A grant of $25,000 supports the initial relief program of the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD) for families displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, driven by the recent rapid escalation of the war that began as intermittent cross-border hostilities following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Now it has intensified into a large-scale conflict affecting vast areas of the country.

Since early March 2026, Israel has carried out extensive aerial bombardment and ground operations targeting Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and densely populated neighborhoods of Beirut including the southern suburbs. While military objectives have been cited, the impact on civilians has been widespread, devastating, and ongoing.

The humanitarian consequences of this escalation have been catastrophic. Since intensification of hostilities in March, more than 1,500 people in Lebanon have been killed and thousands injured, including large numbers of women and children. Residential buildings, entire neighborhoods, and critical civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools, roads, water systems, and agricultural land have been damaged or destroyed. Airstrikes in urban areas frequently have resulted in the loss of multiple members of the same family and have overwhelmed emergency services.

As of early April, approximately 1.2 million people—nearly one fifth of Lebanon’s total population—have been forcibly displaced by evacuation orders and ongoing bombardment. Families have fled with little notice, often leaving behind homes, livelihoods, and personal possessions. Many displaced people are sheltering in overcrowded public schools, unfinished buildings, informal tents, or along Beirut’s seafront. Others are sleeping in open public spaces or vehicles, lacking privacy, sanitation, and protection from the elements. This is against the backdrop of Lebanon’s preexisting economic and social crisis marked by currency collapse, food insecurity, fuel shortages, and a weakened health system.

LSESD’s relief arm, Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) and partners are monitoring displacement trends and escalation of the conflict nation-wide, conducting security assessments, and keeping in communication with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups for a coordinated response. MERATH has developed an initial emergency relief plan targeting at least 10,000 conflict-affected families (40,000 individuals) who require assistance to meet their most basic needs, providing household items, clothing, emergency rations, or vouchers to purchase food. Local churches and other partners in Lebanon are working together with MERATH to provide emergency relief where needed most.

Find out more about Brethren Disaster Ministries at www.brethren.org/bdm

Support this work by giving financially to the Emergency Disaster Fund at https://donorbox.org/edf

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving

———-

Find more Church of the Brethren news: