 |
|
|
Christians in the Holy Land often live in situations of great difficulty. In violent and unstable surroundings, Christians are caught in the cross-fire of a conflict not of their making. Whereas Christians used to make up a sizeable proportion of the population, pressures, poverty and emigration are causing them to lose ground.
Many Christians in Bethlehem used to work in the tourist trade, but in the recent years of violence tourism to the area has dwindled away. In some areas unemployment reaches 90%. Support is needed for practical issues such as providing a decent education in a Christian environment or construction of needed buildings. A feeding programme also gives help to the neediest Christian families, who struggle to have enough to eat or pay their electricity bills.
