On March 11, CNEWA marked its centennial by releasing $1 million in emergency funds to support families displaced in southern Lebanon, emergency surgeries in Gaza, and grants for besieged communities in the Palestinian West Bank. This funding is part of CNEWA’s ongoing emergency campaign following coordinated Israeli-U.S. attacks on Iran and subsequent responses, supporting church-led relief efforts across the region.
Since October 2023, CNEWA has provided more than $3.8 million in emergency assistance to the Middle East, funded by benefactors from North America, Europe, and the Middle East. This includes $1.7 million from a special collection called by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in August 2025, which has been distributed through U.S. parishes. The funds have supported emergency medical care in Gaza, school tuition and staff salaries for the Latin Patriarchate, winter kits and nutrition for children, job assistance in the West Bank, aid for communities devastated by attacks, and shelter for displaced families in southern Lebanon.
Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, CNEWA President, emphasized the dramatic impact of the recent escalation of war in the region, describing the urgent humanitarian needs for clean water, food, medicine, mobile medical teams, hygiene kits, shelter, and psychosocial counseling. He noted that the ongoing conflict has left hundreds of thousands displaced and exposed to bombardment and violence.
In his message to supporters, Msgr. Vaccari highlighted CNEWA’s 100-year legacy of compassion and faith-driven service, acknowledging the vital role of benefactors in sustaining its mission. He emphasized that despite the changing world, the organization’s work to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort the despondent, and shelter the displaced remains essential, guided by a commitment to human dignity and the gospel-driven call to serve those in need.
CNEWA continues to partner with apostolic Eastern churches and local communities across the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe, extending its century-long mission of relief, hope, and humanitarian support amid ongoing crises.
