From the Field: Surviving winter as a child refugee

The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan last summer displaced thousands of families. But it’s only the most recent in a series of conflicts that have driven people in the Middle East from their homes.

In fact, people like Heba, a Syrian girl with special needs, have been living in refugee camps for years.

They struggle every day to find essentials like food, medicine, clean water, clothing, and more.

But today, you can help someone like Heba survive.

Heba and her family have been living in a camp for the past eight years. It’s pretty much the only life this girl has ever known.

They had to leave their home in Syria because of the war when Heba was very young. They wandered the hot desert and passed through many unfamiliar towns.

The journey out of Syria was hard on Heba’s entire family, but it was particularly difficult for her since her disability prevented her from walking.

Eventually, the family moved into a refugee settlement where they met World Help’s partners and Heba began attending a special school where she has learned to read and walk on her own.

But now she faces another problem — the harsh winter.

“Our shelter is not safe,” Heba’s parents said. “It gets very cold, and our roof leaks.”

Notice they call their dwelling a “shelter” — not a home.

The cold itself wouldn’t be that bad if they had heaters, blankets, and warm clothes, but these items are hard to come by in the refugee camps. And even if they weren’t, many refugee families wouldn’t be able to afford them anyway. 

Heba’s family doesn’t even have a tarp to fix their leaky roof.

That’s a recipe for sickness, especially for people like Heba who already have other preexisting health conditions. And since most refugees can barely afford to put food on the table, much less pay for medical treatment, even a simple cold or flu can quickly turn deadly.

Will you help someone like Heba who is struggling to survive this winter?

Every $35 you give will provide a week’s worth of essentials like emergency food, coats, blankets, medical supplies, and more for one refugee.

Refugees like Heba have already faced so many challenges for so many years … and now they face another potentially deadly winter.

Your gift today will give them the physical help they need to make it through and hope as your generosity demonstrates the love of Christ.

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