Refugee Response Teams
Delegation to Syria and Jordan.
1 out of every 5 Iraqis have been displaced*. Almost 5 million Iraqis have become refugees.
Do something about it.
Middle East Fellowship, in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches, will be bringing participants to Syria and Jordan to meet with Iraqi refugees and humanitarian organizations who are working on their behalf. The plight of Iraqi refugees is a crisis that has received little media attention but has become a critical humanitarian issue throughout the Middle East.
Your Guide:
The delegation will be led by Nuhad Tomeh, Associate General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, regional liaison for the Presbyterian Church, USA and Middle East Fellowship board member. Read Nuhad's bio.
+ View Sample itinerary (rough draft)
| Goals of the trips:
• To identify groups and churches who are assisting the refugee populations in the Middle East and discover opportunities to support their efforts. • To analyze the current predicament of Middle East refugee populations by speaking with humanitarian organizations, local churches, U.N. representatives and others who are responding to the growing crisis. • To raise awareness worldwide about the plight of refugees. |
Summer Encounter Programs
Middle East Fellowship is offering two opportunities to serve as cultural ambassadors / volunteers in the Middle East this summer:
PALESTINE SUMMER ENCOUNTER
Palestine Summer Encounter (PSE) is a one, two, or three month service learning and cultural immersion program in Bethlehem, Palestine. Participants study Arabic in and outside of the classroom setting, live with a Palestinian host family, meet with both Israeli and Palestinian NGOs and peacemakers and volunteer with one of thirty-seven participating nonprofits and organizations.
Partial scholarships available!
http://www.palestinesummer.org
DAMASCUS SUMMER ENCOUNTER
The Damascus Summer Encounter is a service learning and cultural immersion program for participants of all ages and nationalities. Participants volunteer with a local church, school or nonprofit; study Arabic through the Berlitz program; meet with local community and religious leaders; and explore the region through weekend trips to the Syrian Coast, Malloula, Aleppo, Palmyra, Sweida and other cities and sites of historical and cultural significance.
Meet with local Syrian and Iraqi refugees! Learn about the Middle East through firsthand experience!
Two Changing Spheres–Iraqis and NGOs in Syria
Prepared by: Katherine Kraft
Middle East Fellowship | August 2008
Download the Full Report (PDF)
Summary:
An overview of international non-profit involvement in Syria and the changes in relief and development work in Syria as a result of the influx of Iraqi refugees, international funding for programmes with Iraqi refugees, and the long-awaited establishment of international Non- Governmental Organizations in Syria.
Report: Assisting Impoverished and At Risk Iraqi Christian Families
Middle East Fellowship has worked directly with Middle Eastern churches of all denominations to deliver aid to Iraqi Christians suffering the greatest financial hardship. In 2008, with your help, we were able to provide emergency assistance to help over 590 Iraqi families–71 families in Jordan, 178 families in Lebanon, 92 families in Syria and 250 families in Iraq itself.
The program funds are administered by Middle East Fellowship board member Rev. Nuhad Tomeh, who also works with the Middle East Council of Churches and serves as the regional liaison for the Presbyterian Church, USA.
Like other Iraqi minority communities, Iraqi Christians have become a target of violence, and a clear pattern of church bombings has emerged in Iraq (see a partial list of targeted churches). A large number of Iraqi Christians, because of the constant threat to themselves and their loved ones, have fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Often leaving all or most of their assets behind, these refugees are unable to legally acquire work. They live off of whatever savings (if any) their family has and whatever they can receive through international assistance. No matter what life they may have once led in Iraq–as lawyers, doctors, engineers–they are now dependent on assistance from the international community to survive. Children and single mothers are among the most vulnerable and in the most urgent need of assistance.
(Above: Iraqi churches targeted by violence).
Iraq
As a minority community, Christians in Iraq are at high risk and church buildings have been a target of militant violence.
Syria
Syria has accepted a large number of Iraq refugees and has allowed Iraqi children to attend public schools. Unfortunately, Iraqis are unable to legally work in the country.
Lebanon
It is estimated that there are around 75,000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon and that at least 6,000 of these are Christians.
Jordan
By some estimates Jordan has received a half million Iraqi refugees. Most are unable to legally work and only some Iraqi children are allowed to enroll in public schools.
A Case Study
A Story from Aleppo
A quote from a 42 year old father living as a refugee in northern Syria*:
"We came to Syria since 2001 since then life has not been easy. I can never have a full time or regular legal job. As a refugee I am not allowed to work officially, so I do small jobs here. There is no regular assistance program for Iraqis in Syria. Everything is expensive and prices of everything are going up. Rent of our small apartment** is increasing every few months. Health care is not available and though medicine is reasonable, still–where do we get money? We are hardly making it here. Some churches provide some assistance, but it is irregular, once or twice a year, we hope we can someday go back to Iraq we had a better care, free education, free medical treatment, but the security is very bad and not safe as everybody knows."
* Name withheld to protect the identity of the family.
** Most Iraqi refugees do not live in refugee camps, they have to find cheap apartments to live in. As you can imagine, without legal access to work, it is extremely difficult to live month to month with housing, food and medical expenses.
How You can Help
Give
Your support is urgently needed.
Please consider making a $35, $60 or $125 donation today.
Even a small donation can be of enormous help to an Iraqi family in need.
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Donate with Paypal |
Or: Donate by Mail Mail your checks to: Middle East Fellowship Be sure to put "Iraqi Christian Assistance" in the memo of your check. |
Pray
Pray for comfort and assistance for all Iraqi refugees–Christians, Muslims and others–struggling to survive day to day, week to week and month to month.
Pray for the Iraqi widows and orphans.
Pray for a calming of the violence.
Pray for the continued health and safety of Middle East Fellowship staff, representatives and partners as they seek to fulfill our commitment to Iraqi families in the region.
Pray for world leaders to make Iraqi civilians and refugees a priority, and to dramatically increase their humanitarian assistance as the situation deteriorates.
See for yourself
Learn more about Middle East Fellowship's church partners. Meet with Iraqi refugee to hear their stories. Join one of our refugee response teams
