On November 28, World Renew celebrated Giving Tuesday and asked you to help families forced to flee their homes because of conflict. In the Middle East, over eleven million Syrians have been displaced from their communities because of civil war that has raged for over six years. In Myanmar, a recent outbreak of violence against the Rohingya people has forced over 625,000 people to flee into Bangladesh since the end of August.
In both cases, the needs are enormous. Families have left their homes with little and are surrounded by a world of uncertainties. When will the conflict end? Will it ever be safe to return home? And in the meantime, how can my family survive?
“We don’t know when these conflicts will end, and we don’t know if families will ever be able to return home.
But what we do know is that we can help families where they are right now.”
There are no easy answers to these questions. We don’t know when these conflicts will end, and we don’t know if families will ever be able to return home. But what we do know is that we can help families where they are right now. Local Christian partners throughout Syria and Bangladesh are helping families caught in the crossfire of conflict. They are demonstrating God’s love – the same love that was on display on that first Christmas when King Jesus came into the world as a vulnerable child – to thousands in need.
Food is undeniably one of the essentials for survival. Yet for many families in Syria and Bangladesh even food is in short supply.
Through matching funds from One Day’s Wages and the generous support of donors, over $116,000 is going towards providing life-saving food assistance to families in Syria. On top of this, nearly $400,000 was raised to help Rohingya families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
In Syria World Renew has been providing food to families affected by conflict for nearly five years. This assistance has met the needs of thousands of Syrians across the country. As the war continues, food prices are so high that many are simply unable to afford enough for their families. Through the funds raised on Giving Tuesday, World Renew will provide Syrian families with much-needed food for the next six months.
In Bangladesh, assistance for Rohingya refugees is well underway. Thousands of families have already received food, and from December 2-9 World Renew is providing food assistance to 126,000 Rohingya people living in Kutupalong – one of the largest refugee camps in the world.
Thank you for your incredible generosity this Giving Tuesday! As many families in Syria and Bangladesh continue to face a world of uncertainty, we ask that you keep them in your prayers, especially during this Christmas season. May the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate at this time of year, comfort and bring peace to these families in great need.
