Beirut

A long-contested enclave on the fringe of the Middle East hit the headlines this month as a new upsurge of fighting claimed at least 300 lives in Nagorno–Karabakh. This mountainous enclave (known as Artsakh by Armenians) neighbours Iran, is near neighbour to Turkey, Russia and Georgia, and sits between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Despite its majority Armenian population, it was made an autonomous zone within Azerbaijan when both states came under Russian control in the 1920s. There have been cycles of clashes since the collapse of the Soviet Union and a 1988 decision by the enclave to become as an independent republic. Full-scale fighting between 1992 and 1994 killed tens of […]

Filed Under: Briefings, Latest News, Uncategorised Topics: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Beirut, Church, Coronavirus, Egypt, Holy Land, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Religious freedom, Syria, Turkey, Yemen

Parts of the region are seeing welcome signs of peace this month, even as Lebanon struggled to pick itself up from a massive disaster in its capital. August’s explosion at the port in Beirut inflicted unprecedented damage across the Lebanese capital and wrecked its main export and import hub. Over 200 people died, thousands were injured and an estimated 300,000 […]

Filed Under: Briefings, Latest News, Uncategorised Topics: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Beirut, Egypt, Holy Land, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Religious freedom, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen

While UK schools reported some 80 to 100 per cent of pupils returning to the classroom last week1, SAT-7 is prioritising the 15 million children in the Middle East and North Africa who are denied schooling by poverty, displacement or conflict. COVID-19 in the region has pushed even more people into poverty, putting more children at risk of losing out […]

Filed Under: Latest News, Press Releases Topics: Beirut, Education, Lebanon, My School, SAT-7 ACADEMY

As Beirut continues to contend with the aftermath of last month’s explosion, SAT-7 ARABIC and SAT-7 KIDS has come alongside those suffering – both with programmes offering spiritual and mental health support, and with on-the-ground initiatives that make God’s love visible on the streets. “We thank you for your prayers, and we so appreciate them,” says Mirna Adaymi, SAT-7 ARABIC’s […]

Filed Under: Latest News Topics: Beirut, Hope/Encouragement, Lebanon

As the shock of the Beirut explosion sinks in, SAT-7 KIDS provides a safe place for children to express their emotions. On Allo Marianne, children in Lebanon call in live while a children’s mental health coach guides them on how to cope and their peers from across the Middle East and North Africa lift them up in prayer. “My legs trembled after […]

Filed Under: Latest News Topics: Beirut, Children, For Beirut, Lebanon, Mental health, Prayer

As the dust settled from the explosion that ravaged Beirut, stories of resilience, heroism, and faith flowed from the city. On the SAT-7 ARABIC programme You Are Not Alone, viewers heard from the nurse who rescued three premature babies from a destroyed neonatal unit, from the “piano lady” who played on amid the chaos, and from a grieving man who clings to his Christian […]

Filed Under: Latest News, Press Releases Topics: Beirut, For Beirut, Lebanon, SAT-7 ARABIC, Testimony, You are not alone

In the aftermath of Beirut’s devastating explosion, many residents hit rock bottom, feeling defeated and hopeless. Juliana Sfeir, SAT-7 ACADEMY Brand Manager, shares how she was one of them – until she witnessed the response of the youth of Beirut, whose resilience and unity filled her with hope once again. “The future lies in the hands of these resilient young […]

Filed Under: Latest News Topics: Beirut, Hope/Encouragement, Lebanon, SAT-7 ACADEMY, Youth

5 August 2020 A massive explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut early Tuesday evening, 4 August 2020, has left an estimated 4,000 wounded, at least 100 dead, and caused extensive damage to the heart of the city. SAT-7 has its largest television production studio in Beirut – around 10km from the blast site – with around 70 employees and freelance […]

Filed Under: Latest News, Press Releases Topics: Beirut, Lebanon, Prayer, SAT-7 ACADEMY, SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 KIDS

“It was as if God had prepared us for this,” says Pastor Hikmat Kashouh of his congregation. He is recalling the time, almost eight years ago, when over a million Syrian refugees started pouring into Lebanon, fleeing civil war. Resurrection Church, Beirut, had already built strong connections with local Syrian workers. But what the church was less prepared for was […]

Filed Under: Features, Latest News, Uncategorised Topics: Beirut, Bible, Discipleship, forgiveness, reconciliation, refugees

Nineteen-year-old Joy Basta is a presenter on the SAT-7 KIDS programme A Riddle and a Story. Being raised a pastor’s son and surrounded by church community did not exempt Joy from negative pressures at school. Here he shares his experience and gives insight into the struggles of the region’s youth today. “Although I attended a Christian school, it was in a very rough area,” […]

Filed Under: Features, Latest News Topics: Beirut, Children, Lebanon, news, Prayer, SAT-7 KIDS, Testimony, Youth