Posts by worldrelief
Refugee organizations say theyâre seeing a surge of donations for Afghans
Image: Michael Blackshire/The Washington Post
by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, The Washington Post
Leaders of several refugee resettlement organizations say money and resources have been flooding in from across the country to assist Afghan evacuees who helped American forces during the two-decade war.
Refugee organizations scramble to settle Afghans after years of Trump-era budget cuts
by Danielle DuClos, ABC News
After the Biden administration finished one of the largest airlifts in the nation’s history Aug. 30, organizations tasked with helping Afghans arriving in the U.S. are scrambling to ramp up operations following years of downsizing due to the Trump administration’s slashed refugee program.
World Relief Reflects on the End of the 20-Year War in Afghanistan and Urges the United States and International Community to Continue to Assist and Protect Vulnerable Afghans
September 1, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE â The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking an end to a two-decade conflict. The longest war in U.S. history is over, but the lingering effects, especially on vulnerable communities, will be felt on the ground for years to come. World Relief urges the United States to play a leading role in offering assistance and protection to Afghans left behind and continue efforts to evacuate the estimated 100,000 at-risk Afghans who still remain on the ground. World Relief also urges the international community to welcome and provide assistance and protection for the thousands of Afghans who are fleeing into neighboring countries. Without a clear plan for a continued evacuation process, the United States must continue to offer safety through all means necessary for vulnerable Afghans inside Afghanistan and those forced to flee.
âWe remember the thousands of lives lost in the conflict in Afghanistan, including American service members, Afghan civilians, and others. But the mission is not complete. The United States and the international community must do the hard work now of protecting and assisting those who cannot remain in Afghanistan safely,â said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. âWe call on the U.S. in particular to welcome and assist Afghan refugees who are being displaced and ensure that we provide the resources and support to help rescue at-risk Afghans abroad and as they arrive in the United States.â
World Relief champions the intrinsic dignity of every human life. Every refugee is a human being made in the image of God and deserving of respect and protection. World Relief deplores the violence in Afghanistan and continues to mourn the loss of life in the recent terrorist attack on Kabul airport as well as the lives lost during the twenty-year conflict. In particular, World Relief honors the 13 U.S. service members who were tragically killed in that attack, and stands in support of the Afghan communities who are grieving the loss and injury of loved ones.
âWorld Relief commends the bravery and sacrifice of the 13 U.S. service members whose devastating loss is being felt throughout our nation,â said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. âWe also stand in solidarity with every Afghan killed or wounded as we pray for peace in Afghanistan. With the completion of the official U.S. withdrawal, we must not forget our commitment to the women, men and children whose lives remain in jeopardy in Afghanistan.â
Across the nation, World Relief staff and volunteers are continuing to work to welcome and serve Afghans who were able to be evacuated and who are now beginning to arrive in the U.S., including more than 360 Afghans welcomed by World Relief in the month of August. Many more are anticipated in the months to come. World Relief is working to foster stability and integration for Afghan refugees building a new life in the U.S.
âWe need a compassionate response to the needs of Afghan refugees,â said Greene. âWorld Relief calls on the church to continue to welcome refugees and provide safety for those who have been forced to flee their country. Every second counts as we work together to bring lasting change to our world.â
To learn more about World Relief, including opportunities to donate, volunteer and advocate, visit https://worldrelief.org/respond/#afghan.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the worldâs greatest problems â disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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Sanctions Against Ethiopia are Not the Answer
Over the last two weeks, the news cycle has been inundated with reports, stories and updates on events unfolding in Haiti and Afghanistan. While our teams on the ground in Haiti continue to respond with emergency assistance, and our local U.S. offices prepare to welcome new Afghan neighbors, we donât want to forget the other crises that continue to evolve across the globe.
Today, World Reliefâs Gemta Adula speaks into the conflict happening in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, advocating for sustainable solutions to a complex situation. Read on to learn more. Thank you for continuing to lean in and join us as we respond to urgent crises and build resilience in communities across the globe.
With military forces blocking humanitarian aid routes to parts of Ethiopia’s volatile Tigray region, there are calls in Congress to enact sanctions against the Ethiopian government. But sanctions are not the answer.Â
I work with Ethiopian refugees, and my experience has shown me that sanctions will only further impede aid from reaching the most vulnerable people in rural Tigray. I urge the U.S. to keep the diplomatic channels open and focus on finding a way to open humanitarian access.
Tigray has been the site of guerilla warfare, sexual violence and torture since the end of 2020, when a conflict arose between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigrayan regional forces. Since then, an estimated 1.7 million people have been displaced from their homes; many are internally displaced, while others have crossed borders into Eritrea and Sudan, where I served as World Reliefâs country director for six years.
Most are left with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing. The situation is likely larger than we know, but the government has restricted access to and communication with many parts of the region.
World Relief operates in various parts of Sudan, including as one of the largest NGOs operating in West Darfur and Central Darfur, which are facing their own tensions and displacement crisis.
But we are also active in the Blue Nile State, on the Ethiopian border, where we are helping refugees who have crossed the border into Sudan. Last month, a new camp called Camp 6 was established 6 km away from the Ethiopian border, designed in coordination between the Sudanese Government’s Commissioner for Refugees and the U.N. World Relief has been distributing food, blankets, shelter materials, face masks and soap bars in the camp.
One of the refugees at Camp 6 is Eikram Ali, a 14-year-old girl who fled the violence and was separated from her parents in the process. In Ethiopia, she dreamed of becoming a teacher or a nurse, but her life has been turned upside down by the conflict. Her village was hit by massive mortar attacks, and she spent her first weeks in camp not knowing whether her parents had survived the attacks. Only recently, she learned they were alive when friends from her village arrived in Camp 6. âI still canât sleep,â she told one of our staff members, âbecause I am really missing them.â
The situation in Sudan is difficult. The economy in Sudan is in a freefall, with the value of the Sudanese pound falling rapidly. Buying power declines daily. Fuel is in short supply. Trade and commerce have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and refugees are especially vulnerable to the virus.
America lost a lot of its clout with the Ethiopian government during the previous presidential administration. But even as we work to rebuild bridges, we need to push hard on Ethiopian leaders to be accountable for these atrocities and to truly consider whether the cost of continued fighting in the name of national unity is worth the destruction of innocent lives.
We have to focus on finding a diplomatic solution in Tigray to restore peace and stability in the region so that displaced people can return to their homes in time.
The United States should not push unilaterally for sanctions, but rather should work with the U.N. on durable solutions. In time, there will be a need to dispense justice through meaningful truth and reconciliation methodologies, but right now, getting aid to the Tigrayan refugees in Sudan and allowing humanitarian access to all parts of Tigray in Ethiopia should be the top priorities.
By giving today, you help World Relief respond to crises like the one in Tigray when and where weâre needed most. Your gift provides aid to those affected by humanitarian crises and builds resilience in communities across the globe.
Gemta Birhanu has been the Sudan Country Director for the past six years, and was recently promoted to Deputy Director of the Humanitarian and Disaster Response Unit at World Relief. Gemta holds a Masterâs in Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in project management, and aâŻBachelorâsâŻof Science in Dry Land Agriculture and Natural Resources Management. Gemta lives in Ethiopia with his wife and three children.
4 Things You May Not Know About COVID-19 and Why You Should Care
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives and the Delta variant creates new uncertainties, many of us are feeling weary. Experts have a term for this: pandemic fatigue. Pandemic fatigue can cause us to feel disengaged and even hopeless. We may even begin to ask ourselves, âWhy should I care about COVID-19?â
Today, weâre sharing four things you may not know about COVID-19 and why you should care. At a time when many of us feel disconnected, COVID-19 continues to show that weâre truly all in this together.
When COVID-19 swept the world in early 2020, we quickly realized it would mean major shifts in the way we serve those in vulnerable situations. Eighteen months later, weâre still learning, still adapting and still uncovering new ways this virus is affecting people across the globe. Hereâs what you may not know:
1. Extreme poverty and food insecurity are on the rise.
In 2020, Oxfam and The World Food Bank predicted that half a billion people would be pushed into extreme poverty and a âfamine of biblical proportionsâ would be ushered in by the pandemic. Today, weâre seeing those predictions play out:
- 296 million people worldwide are going without food â a statistic thatâs up 111 million from April 2020.
- 56% of the worldâs children now lack access to education or health services (up from 47%).
- And the estimated number of COVID-induced poor is expected to rise from 119 million to 124 million.
World Relief President and CEO Myal Greene reflected, âThe pandemic is basically undoing a decade’s worth of human development around the world in terms of progress in getting people out of poverty. Weâre certainly seeing that in many of the communities where we work.â
2. COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting those in already vulnerable situations.
When Mount Nyiragongo erupted in DR Congo earlier this year, coronavirus was not the first concern on anyoneâs mind. âWhen people were fleeing, nobody cared about COVID-19 preventive measures,â said Jean Nyandwi, World Relief DR Congo Country Director.
âAfter the people who had fled returned back to the city, the government announced the third wave of COVID-19,â he continued. âWe believe partly this volcanic eruption may have increased COVID-19 cases.â
While the volcanic eruption may have increased peopleâs exposure to the virus, a lack of access to vaccines, as well as vaccine hesitancy, is most certainly putting women and men at a greater risk of contracting the virus.
In a country that already faces one of the worldâs worst food security crises, vulnerability to one crisis made increased vulnerability to the COVID crisis inevitable.
And these stories of increased vulnerability are not unique to DR Congo. Across the globe, those in vulnerable situations are experiencing outsized impacts of the pandemic.
âIt’s making the poor poorer,â Nyandwi said. âWhen people get sick, they have to pay for their hospital bills. Burials also cost money. Many people have lost their jobs. Prices have increased for basic commodities, particularly in the city of Goma, and likely this is true for the rest of the country as well.â
3. And itâs not just the poorest of the poor who are being affected.
When we talk about the poorest of the poor, weâre referring to those who live on less than $2 a day. That number is increasing by several hundred million people globally, and that is significant.
But, as Greene mentioned in a recent interview, âother tiers of poverty are also increasing as people are moving down the scale of development. Weâve had to do food distributions among middle-income populations where we havenât typically had to do such activities before.â
This was the case in Cambodia where an April lockdown affected people like Grandma Phun Phally who lives in Phnom Penh province. Like many small business owners, Phun Phally relies on daily market sales to afford food and basic necessities. Job losses and decreased incomes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made it harder for people like her to afford these necessities, and this latest round of shutdowns only intensified the fragile situation.Â
“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the government to limit travel during this time, so I and my family members are unable to go out and do business and earn money,â Phun Phally said. âBecause our family owns a small business, we don’t have as much money to spend over such a lengthy period of time. That is something we are very concerned about.â
4. Churches and local communities are being equipped to respond.
In Cambodia, World Relief partnered with local churches to supply and distribute food relief packages to the neediest households in Phnom Penh. Grandma Phun Phally was one of the recipients.
âThank God. He heard our plea and answered it,â she said. âA food shipment from WRC, our church’s partner, was another blessing. This package is extremely beneficial to us in continuing to fight through this difficult period…Pray for everyone to come out on top in this difficult situation.â
In total, World Relief Cambodia gave $20,000 in grants, which funded food relief packages for 1,378 families.
World Relief continues to reach local communities across the globe with accurate COVID-19 prevention messages. Thanks to a $2.3 million grant from USAID, this work is expanding in DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda.
Churches and faith leaders are being equipped and mobilized to rally their congregations and communities around infection prevention efforts including supplying community members with cloth masks, handwashing soap and other community care supplies while also providing accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines.
Faith leaders, who are often seen as trustworthy authorities in local communities, are playing a key role in accelerating equitable access to and widespread use of COVID-19 vaccinations and prevention measures.
Why You Should Care
COVID-19 continues to impact the world and the church continues to respond. But, as individuals facing what can seem at times both insurmountable and far removed, we might still be asking ourselves, âWhy should I care about COVID-19?â or even, âWhat can I possibly do?â
When we asked Greene these questions, we thought his answer captured it perfectly:
This pandemic is the greatest crisis the world has faced within our lifetime, and the people who are most affected by it are those already in the most vulnerable situations in the world. Unless we get this thing under control, that suffering isnât going to stop and is going to get progressively worse.
In 1 Corinthians, we read about the body of Christ and the idea that when one part suffers the whole body suffers. In the U.S., many of us feel as if we are turning a corner, but right now, many places around the world have not yet turned the corner. Those parts of our body are suffering. But we can help.
We all have a role to play â whether itâs through prayer, getting the vaccine or supporting causes that are helping the most vulnerable through this time â we can help our neighbors get over the edge of this pandemic and we can do it together.
Help your neighbors get over the edge of the pandemic and beyond by giving today or joining The Path.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
World Relief North Texas Announces New Office Director, Garrett Pearson
August 25, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
FORT WORTH, Texas â Today, Garrett Pearson was announced as the new office director of World Relief North Texas. Before joining World Relief North Texas, Garrett spent considerable time working with immigrants and refugees both in the U.S. and abroad. In Guatemalaâs Santiago AtitlĂĄn, Garrett assisted in building a new care home for single mothers and helped with youth development. Prior to joining World Relief, Garrett served as the executive director for City of Refuge in Columbia, Missouri where he worked in fundraising, advocacy advancement and community engagement.
From a young age, Garrettâs hope has been to develop a sense of belonging for every person as they transition into life in the U.S. Garrettâs experiences working in refugee and immigration services have given him a sense of vocation when it comes to building bridges for other people. This passion is what ultimately led Garrett to World Relief North Texas.
âThe opportunity to join World Relief, an organization Iâve loved and wanted to be a part of for so long, gives me the opportunity to use all of my skills and gifts to do what I believe God is calling me to do,â said Pearson. âWorld Reliefâs mission lines up so well with my desire to engage with churches, communities and families to help the vulnerable. Giving people a sense of belonging is a core part of who I am.â
Originally from Central Texas, Garrett holds a bachelorâs degree in Communications from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He also has a Master of Divinity with a focus in Counseling from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. This year, Garrett completed his second Masterâs degree, this time in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.
For over 40 years, World Relief North Texas has come alongside refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations as they rebuild their lives in the United States. World Relief North Texasâs dedicated staff and volunteers work to empower both the local church, community organizations and individuals to aid refugees and immigrants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As the demand for World Relief North Texasâs services has increased in recent years, they have expanded their work beyond refugees to include all immigrants in vulnerable situations.
âIâm really excited about the future of North Texas because I believe thereâs a unique opportunity for the church, for Christians and for people in our communities to stand in the gap and to care for the vulnerable,â said Pearson. âBridge building will be an exciting part of the next few years. Because when we build bridges, we can help each other whenever and wherever there is need.â
Ultimately, Garrett hopes the North Texas community will produce more advocates for the refugee community.
âWhether serving refugees from Afghanistan or Burma or Africa, Garrett is a firm believer in the fact that we can work together to create a place for all of us,â said Jennifer Foy, World Relief vice president of U.S. programs. âHe wants North Texas to be known as a place that welcomes the stranger and integrates them into their community.â
To learn more about World Relief North Texas, visit https://worldrelief.org/texas/.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We aim to tackle the worldâs greatest problems with holistic, locally-driven solutions that lead to lasting change â whether in response to disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression or mass displacement and immigration. World Reliefâs work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
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World Relief Urges the Biden Administration to Evacuate U.S. Citizens, Allies and Uniquely Vulnerable Afghan Populations Before Itâs Too Late
August 25, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE â Given the presidentâs re-commitment today to fully drawdown U.S. troops by August 31st, World Relief remains deeply concerned about U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and vulnerable Afghans who are at risk of being left behind. Many Afghans put their lives on the line in support of our U.S. mission over the twenty-year conflict only to be turned away at the Kabul airport while trying to be evacuated from Afghanistan in recent weeks. World Relief has been having daily communication with Afghan families in the United States and others who are still stuck in Afghanistan and urges the Biden administration to continue evacuations beyond August 31st.
âThe reality is that thousands of women, children and innocent civilians, including some with U.S. citizenship as well as many allies with pending Special Immigrant Visa applications, will be left behind if we do not act immediately to secure their evacuation,â said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. âWorld Relief urges the Biden administration to fulfill its promise to the tens of thousands of people who helped the U.S. and risked their familiesâ lives, in addition to their own, to help our country. We also urge these evacuations to include other vulnerable Afghans, including women leaders, human rights activists, and ethnic and religious minorities.â
As part of the Evacuate Our Allies coalition, World Relief calls on President Biden, who has the legal authority to evacuate our allies and other at-risk Afghans to safety in the U.S., to do everything in his power to evacuate SIVs, LPRs, U.S. citizens and other Afghans no matter how long it takes.
âHow we respond to the crisis in Afghanistan will define our generation. A lasting scar will be etched into our nationâs history if the U.S. leaves thousands of Afghans behind to face the ongoing threat of death,â continued Yang. âWhen it comes to getting Americans out of Afghanistan, President Biden has said that âspeed is safetyâ; the same sentiment must be applied to our Afghan allies.â
“Until everyone is brought to safety, we must keep the evacuation going,â said Myal Greene, President and CEO of World Relief. âThe Biden administration must do everything in its power to keep its promises to these brave individuals that our nation would offer refuge to those who risked their lives to serve the U.S. missions. We have a moral obligation to protect Afghan lives at this critical hour. To abandon them to the Taliban as part of the schedule set by the Taliban is morally unacceptable.â
World Relief asks that our partners and church community join us in praying for the thousands of women, men and children whose lives are in peril and for the safe evacuation of all U.S. allies and vulnerable populations. And we stand ready to welcome as many as are able to be processed to come into the U.S., alongside thousands of local church and community partners.
To learn more about World Reliefâs response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, visit https://worldrelief.org/respond/.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the worldâs greatest problems â disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
World Relief Provides Humanitarian Aid After Haiti Earthquake Disaster, Preps for Tropical Storm Grace
August 19, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE â On Saturday, August 14, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit southwest Haiti. Port-au-Prince authorities say that at least 2,189 people were killed and 12,668 people were injured. These numbers are expected to rise as rescue crews search through the rubble. The earthquake is the strongest to affect Haiti in recent memory, of a higher magnitude than the devastating earthquake that hit the island in 2010.
âWe are devastated by the loss of so many men, women and children. Les Cayes, the epicenter of the earthquake, is a key base of operations for World Relief, and we have deep relationships in that community. Our hearts break for those grieving the loss of their loved ones or suffering under the weight of uncertainty as homes and communities have been destroyed. I am praying for the men and women I met on my last trip to Les Cayes, and I hope others will join me in praying for the people of Les Cayes,â said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a one-month state of emergency to mobilize government resources to support victims. World Relief is on the ground in Haiti, providing aid to the hardest-hit areas with a team located in Les Cayes, close to the epicenter of the earthquake.
âWe are so grateful that all World Relief staff have been reported safe following the earthquake, though we mourn that many of them lost loved ones in the earthquake,â said Charles Franzen, World Relief humanitarian and disaster response unit director. âBut our position on the ground in Haiti means we will be able to jump right into the relief effort that Haitians need. Our teams and volunteers in Les Cayes and elsewhere are ready to organize and lead.â
âWorld Reliefâs Church Empowerment Zones are continuing to serve the most vulnerable in Haiti,â said Esther Pyram, World Relief Haitiâs Integral Mission and Church Empowerment Zone Manager. âDuring the devastating aftermath of the earthquake, our prayer is that hope would be revived for all as our teams provide relief to affected communities in need.â
ââAfter a rapid assessment of the situation by the World Relief team on Saturday, World Relief youth volunteers were quickly mobilized to assess the full scope of the damage done by the earthquake. World Relief Haitiâs Area Manager in Les Cayes is attending all humanitarian meetings with the Departmental Center for Emergency Operations, and will coordinate World Reliefâs response as it unfolds.
World Reliefâs disaster response manager and other program managers are communicating with humanitarian actors on the ground to prepare for World Reliefâs intervention. Doug Anderson, an experienced humanitarian disaster response leader, will arrive in Haiti on Thursday and will assume responsibility for leading this emergency response.
Tropical Storm Grace brought heavy rainfall and flooding to an already earthquake-damaged Haiti on Monday. World Relief is working to make sure that as many lives as possible are spared from the damage done by this tropical storm.
As disasters continue to strike in Haiti, World Relief asks that you continue to pray for the protection and well-being of those affected by the earthquake and storm. Learn more about how you can help: www.worldrelief.org/respond
To learn more about World Relief, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the worldâs greatest problems â disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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Attending to Godâs Creation
Today, on World Humanitarian Day, we join organizations from across the globe to bring awareness to the human cost of todayâs climate crisis and the immediate consequences this crisis is having on the worldâs most vulnerable communities. At World Relief, we believe creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness, and is an integral part of caring for the worldâs most vulnerable. Thatâs why we are committed to working toward environmental stewardship and climate-sensitive policies both internally and throughout our programs around the world.
And God said, âLet the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.â So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:20-21
In 2017, I accompanied World Relief Kenya Country Director Elias Kamau to visit Turkana County. The people of Turkana have been living in this area for hundreds of years, relying largely on their livestock for food. What I saw on my trip was devastating. Over 90% of the livestock in the county were dead. Children were suffering from malnutrition. And after two failed rain seasons, the Turkana people were starving.
This is a far cry from the picture of God’s creation we see in Genesis 1 â a picture of life in abundance, a creation overflowing with birds, fish and animals of every kind. A world that God declared very good.
Creation is both a beautiful gift for our pleasure and joy, and an essential part of the very sustainability of our planet. Yet sadly, the incredible biodiversity that is celebrated in Genesis 1 is no longer as visible as it once was.
Though some may still dispute the degree to which climate change is being caused by humans, few would dispute that it is impacting our world. Wherever you may stand on this issue, as Christians, we should be able to agree that scripture is clear. God gave humans dominion over the earth “to work it and take care of it ” (Genesis 2:15).
Indeed, creation care is one of the core tenets of Christian witness. But today, there is mounting evidence that we are failing badly in this responsibility.
In his new Netflix documentary, “A Life On Our Planet,” natural historian David Attenborough, now 93, documents this decline and the reasons for it in vivid and disturbing terms. We, God’s chosen stewards of His Creation, are quite literally destroying the creation that makes our own lives possible, living apart from nature rather than being a part of it, and thus bringing forward what could be the sixth mass extinction event in the history of the world if we continue on current trends.
The Crisis
If that seems exaggerated, consider the following. In 1937 there were 2.3 billion people on the earth and 66% of the world was wilderness. By 1997 there were 5.7 billion people and 46 % of the world was wilderness. Today, in 2020 there are 7.8 billion people and only about 35% of the world remains as wilderness.
This matters because the sustainability of our planet and our lives depends on the delicate balance of rainforests, grasslands, oceans, ice caps and the rich biodiversity contained in them. As the planet warms, as populations grow and as we destroy wilderness to fuel our consumption-oriented lives, the cycle of destruction accelerates. As a result, since the 1950s, wild animal populations have halved. And itâs expected that unless we make dramatic changes, in the next twenty years the Amazon rainforest will become dry savannah and the arctic will be free from ice in the summer.
At World Relief, we see the effects of this directly in our work around the world, as climate change shifts long-term weather patterns, bringing more destructive climatic events such as severe flooding. This especially impacts the poorest of the worldâs countries, where food and water insecurity and environmental disasters have forced migration and increased conflicts and violence all across the developing world.
While in Turkana, expected rains have been replaced by months of extreme drought and resulting famine, weâve seen the contrary in Malawi and parts of Sudan where severe flooding has been far worse than in years past. In places like Haiti and Nicaragua, weâve seen an increase in both the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and greater suffering as a result. Most recently, we experienced the devastating effects of the worst hurricane season on record across Central America as Hurricaneâs Eta and Iota struck the region just weeks after one another, causing extreme vulnerability and devastation. And on our U.S. Southern border, weâre beginning to see an uptick in environmentally-induced migration as families flee environmental pressures in search of a safe place to rebuild their homes.
Now What
Much of our programming aims to combat the consequences of this devastating climate change.
In countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, our Agriculture for Life programming uses conservation techniques that help reverse the man-made consequences of over-farming and deforestation. By working with the land rather than depleting it, we are finding different ways to farm that are better for the environment and give farmers better long-term crop yields.Â
In Turkana, we are also working on range rehabilitation through the development of Conservation Areas. These areas are fenced-off portions of communal land that are protected from livestock and treated with high-quality grass seeds for a period of time. When the dry season arrives or drought hits, the conservation areas often provide the only viable pasture for livestock to feed on, ensuring selected herds are cushioned from the drought shocks and that the Turkana people can continue to rely on their livestock for food and milk through harsh periods of drought and famine.
In Haiti, we have just begun a new waste management project in partnership with Tearfund UK and Arris Desrosiers â a social enterprise company based out of the capital of Port-Au-Prince â which aims to change beliefs and behaviors around waste management and recycling through lessons in creation care and environmental stewardship. The project hopes to connect over 15,000 beneficiaries to proper waste collection and recycling, significantly reducing the waste flowing into the ocean and improving the health and well-being of thousands of families in the Port-au-Prince area of Carrefour.
In the coming years, World Relief is committed to working toward environmental stewardship and climate sensitive policies both internally and throughout more of our programs around the world.
Our Responsibility
In truth, it will take the whole world; governments, scientists, businesses and each one of us to reverse the trends. We all have to do our part.
We must not rest in denial just because the impacts of climate change are not on our own doorstep. That denial fails to honor God and the wonders of his creation.
Change will only happen when our own hearts are moved so that we have eyes to see and ears to hear. It will happen when we cease to allow climate change and care for our environment to be seen purely through the lens of politics or economic self-interest and bow in submission to our duty of care for God’s creation â a creation to which we are all connected; when we reduce economic inequality and education disparities in the developing world so that we can bring population growth under control; and when we recognize what we do “over here” affects people “over there”. Whether in small or big ways, each one of us can make a difference in building a better world today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
It is time â if not past time â to attend to our Lord’s business.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO from 2016-2020. Timâs business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife, Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
World Relief Urges International Community to Assist and Protect Vulnerable Afghans
August 16, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE â Following the Taliban takeover of the Afghan capital of Kabul over the weekend, World Relief is concerned about the increasing vulnerability of the Afghan people and urges the international community to provide protection and assistance to those fleeing danger and violence. In addition, World Relief continues to urge the Biden administration to honor the U.S.âs commitment to its allies and immediately evacuate as many Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and other vulnerable Afghans to the U.S. as quickly as possible.
âWe are devastated by whatâs happening in Afghanistan and stand with the Afghan people,â said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. âWe are acutely aware of the fears and anxiety that the Afghan people feel right now. World Relief is deeply concerned about the many Afghans, including those who assisted U.S. troops, human rights defenders, religious minorities and others, who will be left vulnerable as our troops withdraw. I am praying for peace and the protection of those in Afghanistan right now and ask that others join me in prayer as well.â
World Relief urges the Biden administration to uphold the promise made repeatedly throughout several administrations that Afghans who served with us would be brought to safety in the United States. World Relief believes there is a moral responsibility to safely evacuate our Afghan allies who risked their lives to protect American troops and civilians ahead of the Taliban takeover.
âFor the past several months, President Biden has been pressed by human rights groups, faith communities, veterans and bipartisan leaders in Congress to evacuate our Afghan allies as quickly as possible given the imminent drawdown of U.S troops, â commented Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. âGiven the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and the evacuation of only 2,000 or so SIV applicants, we urge the administration to do everything it can to continue to assist and protect our vulnerable allies and others who face grave danger and violence because of their association with the United States.â
World Relief stands ready and eager to welcome evacuated Afghan refugees and is actively working with our local partners to prepare to welcome as many refugees as possible. The fiscal year 2022 refugee ceiling, which the Biden administration is due to set in the coming weeks, must account for a significant number of Afghan refugees.
âThe way we leave Afghanistan will be an enduring mark on our nationâs history,â continued Yang. â The U.S. should lead a worldwide effort to assist and protect vulnerable Afghans wherever they are, and to help create safe spaces and assistance for those who are forcibly displaced.â
World Relief asks that our partners and church community join us in praying for peace and for the protection of those in Afghanistan whose lives are in immediate danger, and for a compassionate response to the needs of Afghan refugees.
To learn more about World Relief, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the worldâs greatest problems â disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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