Ongoing: Samaritan’s Purse shares the eternal hope of the Gospel with refugee families.
Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world. They have fled their homes due to crisis situations such as war and food scarcity, and bringing few personal belongings with them, they must figure out how to survive in a foreign land. Many refugee families live in crowded tent camps or makeshift huts pieced together with whatever materials they can find. Some even live on the streets.
We continue to distribute food to refugees in South Sudan.
In Jesus’ Name, Samaritan’s Purse continues to offer life-saving essentials such as food, water, shelter, and medical care to refugees in desperate need. During a time of fear and struggle, our teams offer tangible expressions of God’s love.
Some highlights from our history:
Crisis in Sudan/South Sudan
We have served refugees in South Sudan for decades, long before it became a country. Our staff work with people internally displaced by ongoing conflict within the country, as well as refugees who have fled violence in the Nuba Mountains and other parts of Sudan. Our relief efforts in South Sudan include emergency food, clean water access, agriculture training, and literacy classes. We’re also discipling believers and strengthening the outreach of local churches.
Mass Exodus to Europe
When a million people fled Syria, Iraq, and other troubled regions in early 2016 they sought refuge in western Europe. More than 50,000 of these refugees ended up in Greece and had to endure long-term stays in detention centers and makeshift camps, as other European countries closed their borders. Many of these centers and camps lacked the basic necessities of food, water, sanitation, and shelter. Samaritan’s Purse distributed critical relief supplies such as food, hygiene kits, water, and mosquito nets.
Franklin Graham visited our Diphtheria Treatment Center in Bangladesh.
Our teams were among the first to pull refugee boats safely to shore along the Aegean Sea. Staff provided compassion in Jesus’s Name to these refugee families and made sure they had warm blankets, food, and first aid as soon as they arrived in Greece.
Rohingyas Flee
When the Rohingya were forced to flee Myanmar and seek safety in neighboring Bangladesh, they had to live in Kutupalong refugee camp with hundreds of thousands of people. Cramming this many people into a small area created a situation ripe for infectious diseases, such as diphtheria. Samaritan’s Purse built a diphtheria treatment center inside the camp in 2018 and treated more than 500 patients.
Many refugees arrived in Bangladesh critically injured, and so we also used our DC-8 aircraft to transport medical personnel and surgical equipment in order to increase the capacity of Memorial Christian Hospital, our long-time partner in Bangladesh.
Venezuelan Migrants
Since 2018, Samaritan’s Purse has provided relief to Venezuelans who have entered Colombia in search of a better life. The situation in Venezuela is dire, with the nation facing food scarcity, hyperinflation, and a lack of medicine or medical care. The journey into and through Colombia may take several weeks and requires walking for hundreds of miles.
Migrants receive a hot meal at one of our shelters in Colombia.
At multiple locations within Colombia, our teams have provided hot meals, shelter, counseling, and medical care. We’ve also distributed hygiene kits and backpacks with clothes.
Syria Response
Last year, Samaritan’s Purse met the critical physical needs of Syrian refugees in Iraq by providing shoes and warm coats ahead of the harsh winter. We distributed water, blankets, and hygiene kits, and also repaired sanitation and hygiene facilities inside the Bardaresh refugee camp.
We thank God for the opportunity to minister in Jesus’ Name among refugees all over the world who need to know that God loves them and has promised to never forsake them.
