We are trying to survive, but we are still in a shock about our situation. We are afraid of the winter as we are sleeping on the ground and the weather is very extreme here. Our lives depend entirely on God and other people. –Fahad, age 16, refugee from Mosul, Iraq
It’s hard to believe that we are now entering the fourth year since conflict first erupted in Syria.
Yet today, even after 200,000 casualties and more than a million wounded in Syria alone, the crisis is still far from over.
The rise of the Islamic state (ISIS) over the past year has led to yet another bloody chapter in this humanitarian tragedy. ISIS’s brutal rise to power in Iraq has sparked a mass exodus of millions, virtually swallowing the Middle East in a refugee disaster unlike any we have witnessed before.
Between the two nations, 13 million people have been displaced and are expected to remain so indefinitely, making the need for immediate aid even more urgent.
World Help supporters have been relentless in their support, giving sacrificially to fund shipments of life-saving supplies to families in need and joining us in prayer for an end to this ongoing crisis.
Today, because of your trusted partnership, we must call on your help again. The winter months have presented our aid teams with incredible difficulties: We simply don’t have enough reserves to meet the growing need . . . putting thousands of lives at risk at this most deadly time of year.
Reports are already coming in of refugee babies freezing to death from the cold . . . and many more are expected to perish in the weeks ahead. In Syria and Iraq, temperatures at this time of year can drop to as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Can you imagine trying to survive day in and day out in these conditions—even with the proper resources?
A recent statement by a United Nations spokesperson further emphasizes the danger: “This is the biggest refugee crisis of our age. For refugees already struggling to survive the harsh winter, the consequences of halting assistance will be devastating.”
Additional funding is needed immediately to meet this urgent need. Every dollar you give today will go toward acquiring shipping and distributing life-saving supplies to refugee families. These items will include: staple food items, water, medicine, winter clothing, heaters, cook stoves, warm bedding, hygiene kits, and more.
Any contribution—large or small—will directly impact the life of an Iraqi refugee . . . maybe even save a life.
Please partner with us to serve our brothers and sisters during the harsh winter months. It just might be the most important gift you ever give.
