Samaritan’s Purse distributed approximately 400 backpacks to women and children at a refugee transit center on the Macedonian-Greek border in September 2015.
Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern and African countries have recently been pouring into southeastern Europe. Most arrive by boat from Turkey to Greece. They cross from Greece into Macedonia with hopes of eventually making it to western or northern Europe.
Back in the Middle East, Samaritan’s Purse is using gifts from generous Canadians like you to provide physical and spiritual help to thousands of Syrians and Iraqis who have fled for their lives to Kurdistan, a relatively safe area in northern Iraq. Your donations are enabling us to supply shelter materials, food, vocational supplies, household supplies, and more to people who often have nothing when they arrive. Refugees continue to arrive in Kurdistan, so your help is still needed.
Hazem Khotib and his wife, Nahed, left their home in Syria in search of safety. Hazem was worried that his three children, Tala, Tima, and Gazi, would not receive a good education or have a good life if they stayed in their city.
“It is a sad situation because there must be a good reason for you to uproot your family, and there are a lot of families now we see with very small children,” said Pavle Kostadinov, one of our evangelical partners in Macedonia. “You don’t move from Syria and go from point to point to point to point to get here…unless there is a dire need for you to move and go somewhere else.”
However, it was difficult for Hazem to leave his life behind. He worked as a sales manager, and his wife was a hairdresser.
“In Syria, I have great, great life,” he said. “I have good position. I have cars. My wife have job. I have family.”
But they didn’t have safety. So a year and a half ago, Hazem moved his family to Turkey. He was unable to find work, so when he heard that he may be able to cross into Europe, he decided that he had to try.
He and his family took a small, wooden boat across the sea. They were lucky-their boat only had 16 people-and they were able to pass through without capsizing or having to be rescued. Several boats passing the sea between Turkey and Greece have been overloaded, and many have perished.
Although many men are leaving their families behind until they can find better circumstances, Hazem said that his wife would not let him go alone.
“My wife tell me, ‘We’re together,'” he said. “‘Live together, die together.'”
They’re traveling with their 11- and 9-year-old daughters and 1-year-old son. Hazem said it has been difficult to travel with small children, but he doesn’t have a choice.
“My wife tell me, ‘We’re together,'” he said. “‘Live together, die together.'”
Samaritan’s Purse helped Hazem’s family today by providing backpacks to his two daughters and his wife. The children’s backpacks contained a blanket, a towel, hygiene products, food, a toy, and a Gospel booklet. Their mother’s backpack contained similar items, along with baby diapers and feminine hygiene products.
Because of the fluidity of the refugee situation, disaster response can be difficult. People are constantly on the move, and the crowd ebbs and flows at different points.
“We don’t really know what is happening between one day and the next day-actually, hour to hour,” Pavle said.
Please pray for Samaritan’s Purse as we try to meet the needs of these refugees. Pray for wisdom, guidance, and safety. Most importantly, pray for the refugees as they seek asylum to begin new lives.
“We cannot give a very systematic solution to the problem, but we can pray,” Pavle said. “All of these people are moving from dominant Muslim areas to dominant Christian areas. I’d really like them to see that Christ makes [a] difference.”
In the midst of political crisis around the world, Samaritan's Purse stands ready to meet the needs of citizens and our partners on the ground. Your gift allows us to supply basic necessities and offer emotional and spiritual support.