07/10/2026
Bethlehem sits in an eerie, painful silence. The vibrant streets where our Lord was born—once filled with pilgrims and visitors—are now empty. With tourism completely frozen by the ongoing conflict, the local economy has utterly collapsed.
Unemployment has skyrocketed above 80%, leaving families with no income, no safety net, and no clear way to provide for their daily needs. Families have fallen far past what many would consider rock bottom. Yet, into this deep darkness, our Diaper and Food Distribution Programs have become a vital vessel of mercy.
For the poorest, the elderly, and disabled Christians who are completely unable to work during this wartime crisis, these programs are quite literally a lifeline. Currently the diaper program is providing critically needed diapers to severely disabled adults, many of them elderly.
The diaper program is also assisting vulnerable children with severe disabilities at an orphanage near the Church of the Nativity that traditionally marks the birthplace of Jesus.
Our food program is also continuing during the war devastated economy. We deliver monthly food packages to families across Bethlehem. Desperation is growing and more families are seeking aid because of lack of work. Several families, including widows caring for grandchildren, have been added to our aid lists just in the last month.
We now have a lengthy waiting list!
The future of the Christian presence in the Holy Land hangs precariously in the balance, with believers now making up less than one percent of the population. If these families cannot survive..
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https://religiousfreedomcoalition.org/2026/07/10/faith-sustained-in-the-silence-of-bethlehem/
Bethlehem sits in an eerie, painful silence. The vibrant streets where our Lord was born—once filled with pilgrims and visitors—are now empty. With tourism completely frozen by the ongoing conflict, the local economy has utterly collapsed.
