Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the humanitarian crisis in northern Syria after Turkey launched a brutal invasion—displacing thousands of families. As the weather continues to get colder, entire communities are left without adequate shelter, clothing, and food.
We are distributing medicine, cooking provisions, emergency shelter material, and warm blankets and clothing to meet the immediate needs of more than 1,000 Kurdish families who have resettled in refugee camps in Iraq.
Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse continues to work through a network of partner organizations to provide critical relief to the thousands of displaced families who remain in northern Syria—letting them know that God loves them and they are not alone.
Though Turkey agreed to a ceasefire—a 120-hour pause in military action—as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced on Oct. 17, the situation remains difficult and fluid.
Kurdish-led forces are to withdraw from the immediate border between Turkey and northern Syria over the coming days, allowing what Turkey has called “a safe zone” to be established.
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham has posted several times on Facebook regarding the situation in northern Syria. Most recently, on Oct. 17, he wrote:
“We thank God for the good news that a ceasefire agreement has been reached during Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s meetings with Turkey’s President Erdogan. The Vice President said, ‘I want to express my appreciation to the millions of Americans who were carrying this moment in prayer…’”
Already there are many reports of atrocities in the combat zone. Fighting was fierce in this rugged region where some Christian communities stretch back nearly 2,000 years.
Working in Jesus’ Name, Samaritan’s Purse has brought physical and spiritual relief to hurting people in this region many times in the past, having been active in the Middle East for decades. For instance, in northern Iraq, our teams continue to offer a variety of projects aimed at meeting the needs of people displaced by ISIS.
Please pray for the many Christians, Kurds, and other minorities who are caught in the middle of the latest conflict in Syria. Pray for God’s protection as they flee everything they’ve known and head into an uncertain future.
Note: This article was originally published on Oct. 15 and revised significantly on Oct. 18.
Help families in the Middle East who have been displaced as a result of violent conflict and religious persecution receive the physical and spiritual aid they so desperately need to cope with the resulting poverty and trauma.