Op-Ed’s & Press Releases
World Relief Rose to Meet the Challenges of COVID-19 to Assist At-Risk Communities in 2020
February 19, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â Despite the many hardships and challenges presented by the pandemic in 2020, World Relief found new and innovative ways to serve the most vulnerable to meet their evolving needs. World Reliefâs teams proactively addressed the COVID-19 crisis in some of the worldâs most volatile places both internationally and in the United States. Nearly 1 million people worldwide were reached with COVID-19 preventative messaging and over 1 million dollars of food was donated to those in need in 2020.
In 2020, from Haiti to Cambodia, nearly 700,000 people were reached with messaging by staff and volunteers on health education and medical assistance to help combat the pandemic. In Rwanda, for example, churches from across the six Church Empowerment Zones creatively mobilized to serve over 4,000 families in need through programs in areas like savings, gender equality and agriculture. Furthermore, in Burundi, displaced families were able to wash their hands thanks to the 500 hygiene kits World Relief distributed to families in an internally displaced person camp. In addition, World Relief continued to bring hope and healing to South Sudan. In August of 2020 alone, clinics supported by World Relief delivered 112 healthy babies, treated 276 children for malnutrition and treated 3,268 men, women and children for malaria.
World Relief Cambodia empowered new churches to serve the most vulnerable in their communities through a new partnership with Khmer Evangelical Church. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, volunteers reached tens-of-thousands of people with prevention messages like hand washing, covering a cough and wearing masks. In addition, we celebrate the success World Relief Cambodia saw as our 34-person field staff shared COVID-19 prevention information with the communities in which they work, reaching nearly everyone in their church networks (4,000 households in 200 villages).
âThe positive impact our international teams were able to make throughout a year of COVID-19 is a testament to the power of prayer and the dedicated support World Relief received from our staff, volunteers, and supporters around the world who remain committed to standing alongside the vulnerable even in the hardest of times,â said Myal Greene, SVP of International Programs at World Relief.
On a national scale in 2020, World Reliefâs U.S. offices also found innovative ways to serve the most vulnerable during this past year of the COVID-19 pandemic. World Relief offices around the U.S. adapted to the shutdowns by offering vital programming such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and Immigration Legal Services (ILS) virtually, and increasing outreach to ensure our clients received accurate health information. Many U.S. offices also began offering virtual services to help families work through unemployment claims and understand stimulus check qualifications. To aid in remote services, our offices secured laptops and similar technology for newcomers.
Some of the main challenges for our clients during the stay-at-home period was, and continues to be, finding immediate housing in isolation and building community as newcomers during the pandemic. World Reliefâs local offices have various partners assisting with the cost of housing and caseworkers have helped foster community through regular phone calls and delivering (at a safe distance) necessities to newcomers who are settling in. As usual, refugees are still picked up from the airport and are provided with face masks, hand sanitizer and a thermometer by our staff as needed.
In further cause for celebration and gratitude, from January through December of last year World Relief had outstanding levels of volunteer engagement in ESL, Youth & Family Services, and food distribution with over 5,374 active volunteers and 157 community teams. As of September 2020, over $1,554,722 worth of food had been generously donated, which in turn allowed offices to serve over 42,800 families. Volunteers committed over 12,860 hours to making a difference in their communities by assisting with food outreach initiatives. By December of last year, World Relief had gained 1,450 new volunteers.
âThe World Relief family is thrilled by the outpouring of support we saw from those who were able to sacrifice their time and resources to support their vulnerable brothers and sisters,â said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. âOur work simply would not be possible without changemakers like these.â
Throughout the pandemic, our national offices have continued to enroll clients and serve refugees and other vulnerable immigrants during the pandemic. Between March 16, 2020 and the end of the calendar year, World Relief welcomed 515 newly arrived refugees and 372 immigrants granted special visas as a tie to their service to the U.S. military and other parts of our government. We also helped immigrant families respond to the challenges of a contracting job market and provided cash assistance for families struggling with pandemic-related economic hardship.
Despite the limitations caused by COVID-19, last year World Relief adapted to change and adopted creative strategies for serving the most vulnerable people around the world. âWhile the challenges of fighting against the pandemic will remain into this year, our work would not have been possible without a community of local churches who steadfastly offered prayer and donated offerings throughout these challenging times,â says Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. âIt is with immense gratitude that we reflect on the way our supporters, volunteers and staff worked together to restore hope and rebuild lives in communities around the world.â
Together, we will continue to empower churches to stand with the vulnerable through this pandemic and beyond.
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.
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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World Relief Thanks Retiring Scott Arbeiter and Tim Breene for Leadership and Service, Announces Replacement Search
February 12, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â Today, World Reliefâs Board of Directors announced the upcoming retirement of Scott Arbeiter, president, and Tim Breene, CEO, at the end of the summer and expressed deep gratitude for their sacrificial service and extraordinary commitment to World Reliefâs mission, staff, partners and clients. The duo has collectively served the organization in a number of leadership roles for more than 30 years, and it is with hope and expectation that the board enters into the search for their successor.
Scott and Tim entered into their roles as president and CEO, respectively, with prayer and intentionality. It is with that same spirit that they have worked with the World Relief Board over the last year to navigate their retirement. As former board members themselves, Scott and Tim brought complementary skills and experience when they joined forces to lead World Relief in 2016. While for the majority of World Reliefâs history its leadership has resided in one individual, the dual capabilities of Scott and Tim met the unique need of the season.
Scott and Tim have worked tirelessly over the last five years to build a high-performance culture that is highly collaborative, fosters new leaders and thinks strategically. Their tenure has been marked by the development of a strong and capable senior leadership team, who together will offer continuity through this transition. Scott and Tim, along with the board, believe the time is again right for a singular leader to work with this team to guide World Relief into a season of flourishing â of exceptional programming and technical expertise that is demonstrating real progress in tackling the worldâs greatest problems. S/he will be responsible for stewarding the rich history, mission, people, and brand of World Relief.
Tim Breene commented, âIt has been a deep privilege to be entrusted to lead such committed and capable people and for the organization to now be in a position to move forward, having strengthened our foundations. Scott and I feel a source of profound joy as we look back over what weâve accomplished together these last five years and great anticipation as we look to the future.â
âOur belief is that there is a greater risk of leaders staying too long than leaving too early, especially at our stage of life,â commented Scott Arbeiter. âWe have fulfilled our season, and it is now our joy to make room for the leaders we have among us and whoever might be selected to embark upon the next season as the new president/CEO.â
This new leader will be joining World Relief at a pivotal moment in the organizationâs history. In addition to domestic immigration services and the expected resurgence in refugee resettlement, the organization anticipates increasing excellence and growth in its international humanitarian, health and disaster relief work âas well as its advocacy of a Christian conscience to the broader church and culture.
The World Relief Board of Directors is committed to a broad, open search process and a diverse set of candidates. In partnership with CarterBaldwin, the board will issue a call for applications beginning in mid-February. The interview and evaluation process will extend through the spring and into the summer if necessary, and is open to internal and external candidates alike. A successful candidate must wholeheartedly demonstrate a commitment to the growth and evolution of World Relief â building on the tremendous path paved by Tim, Scott and all those who came before them.
âWe have much to anticipate. We will be inviting the next leader into a stable, well-positioned organization,â said Steve Moore, chair of World Reliefâs Board of Directors. âOur executive team is strong and well placed. Our global impact is extraordinary, and our economics strong. We are navigating well the challenges of a global pandemic and the stage is set for World Reliefâs next president/CEO to bring about evolutionary change. And for all of this, we are immensely grateful to Tim and Scott for modeling leadership with âintegrity of heart and skillful handsâ (Ps. 78:72).â
World Relief has a rich history of serving the most vulnerable through its programming, empowering the local church and speaking truth to power in its spheres of influence. Throughout its 75+ year history, World Relief has stood firm in the knowledge that the work and organization have always belonged to God, and they are confident that the work that God has started He will continue.
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Responds to Biden Administrationâs Announcement on Refugee Resettlement
February 4, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â Today in an address at the State Department, President Biden announced an upcoming executive order focused on strengthening the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which includes consultations with Congress on refugee resettlement that will lead to a Presidential Determination for FY22 of 125,000 refugees. World Relief commends President Biden for taking necessary steps forward in the ongoing process of rebuilding the U.S. refugee resettlement program, and we eagerly await the opportunity to welcome more refugees to the United States.
Todayâs announcement follows three executive orders related to immigration signed on Tuesday centered around creating a task force for reunifying immigrant families, developing a strategy to address irregular migration across the Southern border, creating a more humane asylum system and promoting immigrant integration and inclusion in American society.
âRebuilding our nationâs significantly-dismantled refugee resettlement system will take a great deal of effort and advocacy, as will reuniting families separated by our government along the border, restoring our asylum system and re-opening legal immigration processes that have been restricted in recent years,â says World Relief CEO Tim Breene. âWhile pleased with the swift release of executive orders related to immigration and this announcement on refugee resettlement, World Relief urges the administration to follow through on these preliminary actions with concrete policy changes that are within the administrationâs authority, including resetting the refugee resettlement ceiling for the current fiscal year, ending the âMigrant Protection Protocolsâ and other policies restricting access to asylum and restoring immigration legal processes that facilitate family reunification.â
As one of nine national agencies that resettle refugees in partnership with the U.S. State Department, World Relief is particularly pleased by todayâs declaration that the United States will be re-committing to global leadership in refugee resettlement. For more than four decades, World Relief has partnered with both the U.S. government and with thousands of local churches to welcome and provide integration support to refugee families who fled persecution in their countries of origin because of their faith, their ethnicity, their political opinions and other reasons.
Along with our peer organizations, we are ready and eager to once again welcome a historically normal number of refugees to the U.S., and we urge President Biden to expeditiously follow up on todayâs announcement by resetting the refugee ceiling, ramping up overseas processing and rebuilding the refugee resettlement infrastructure within the U.S.
âWorld Relief offices around the country are eager to expand and welcome those who have fled their homes in pursuit of a better, safer future,â says World Relief President Scott Arbeiter. âIt is imperative that we come together in recognition that this is not a partisan issue; itâs a belief issue. Itâs a matter of loving our neighbors as Scripture commands.â
World Relief also acknowledges that many other immigration policy changes will require bipartisan congressional action. We thank Members of Congress for reintroducing the Dream Act of 2021 today and we urge them to continue to work together on a bipartisan basis to forge the consensus necessary to provide permanent legal status and eventually the opportunity to apply for citizenship for DACA recipients and other Dreamers, for long-term residents of the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status and for undocumented immigrants who would meet appropriate qualifications, such as the payment of a fine. Together with our partner churches, we will continue to advocate for immigration reforms rooted in our biblical values.
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Responds to Biden Administrationâs Executive Order on Immigration Reform
January 20, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â Today, President Biden proposed an immigration bill that would provide an 8 year path to citizenship for millions in America without legal status, an expedited path to citizenship for Dreamers and others who have already been residing lawfully in the U.S. and proposes several other vital changes. The president also will sign a series of immigration-related executive orders. World Relief applauds the administration for following through on its promise to prioritize immigration reform, including an earned legalization process for the undocumented.
World Relief is encouraged by the broad thrust of Bidenâs proposal. We urge the administration to address other urgent immigration priorities, including resetting the refugee resettlement ceiling, restoring the U.S. asylum process and restoring legal immigration processing, as quickly as possible.
âThese day-one actions are worth celebrating, and we hope they will be a down payment on further necessary immigration and refugee policy changes. While we urge President Biden to do what he can administratively, ultimately Congress must cooperate on a bipartisan basis if we are to see the long overdue reforms needed to repair our broken immigration system,â says Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. âWorld Relief, along with our many partner churches and supporters, is eager to help garner bipartisan support in the coming months for a bill that would provide an earned legalization process for undocumented immigrants and meet other priorities.â
World Relief commends the Biden administration for advancing policies and legislations that will serve refugees and immigrants within and across our nationâs borders. While the presidentâs legislative proposal provides a positive starting point, it is ultimately up to Congress to forge bipartisan consensus to craft an immigration bill that will provide hope to millions of immigrants, ensure secure borders and facilitate lawful migration, which includes reuniting families and offering refuge to some of the worldâs most vulnerable people who have fled persecution. We hope and pray that bipartisan unity will be forthcoming in Congress so that lasting and broad-reaching reform is possible.
âWe firmly believe that America has a moral imperative to welcome refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants once again into our nation,â says Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. âOur hope is that Americans, regardless of political party, will set aside their differences and come together to rebuild an immigration process that will reflect the best of American values and the biblical values that guide many Americans.â
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Testifies in the Senate on U.S. Refugee Policy and Hong Kong Residents
December 16, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE  â Yesterday, Jenny Yang, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief and co-chair of the Advocacy Committee of Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, for a hearing âSupporting Hong Kongâs Pro-Democracy Movement through U.S. Refugee Policy.â Jenny spoke on behalf of World Relief and Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), a coalition of 29 US-based nongovernmental organizations representing a diverse group of nonprofits that advocate for and with those who are forcibly displaced. The hearingâs first panel of speakers included Senators Robert Menendez and Marco Rubio, who spoke about their Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act bill. The second panel featured Jenny Yang, who spoke on U.S. refugee policy with four witnesses: constitutional law professor Julian G. Ku, and Hong Kong activists Ms. Joey Siu, Mr. Samuel M. Chu and Mr. Nathan Law.
As Jenny noted in her testimony, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980 which passed unanimously in the Senate. Congress recognized at that time that U.S. leadership was needed to respond to growing numbers of those forcibly displaced and wanted to codify into law a process by which those who are fleeing persecution can gain the protection of the United States in partnership with local communities. As the effects of an oppressive new law are forcing people to live in fear in Hong Kong or flee elsewhere, the United States needs to show leadership again.
âIn order for the United States to offer genuine protections to those from Hong Kong, Congress must work with the administration to rebuild the US refugee admissions program (USRAP) that has been systematically dismantled over the past few years. Our ability to welcome anyone fleeing persecution regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion, is a hallmark of our democracy and is a principled position against Communist regimes that stifle and oppress its people.,â said Jenny Yang, World Reliefâs VP of Policy and Advocacy and Co-Chair of RCUSA’s Advocacy Committee. âThe United Statesâ ability to offer protection through a strong and flexible U.S. refugee admissions program (USRAP) is a direct indicator of our commitment to human rights and will have an impact on our ability to promote democracy abroad. Whether the residents of Hong Kong will avail themselves of the protection of the United States may depend on how agile and efficient the process is.â
The inclusion of residents of Hong Kong in the FY21 Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions is a step in the right direction. But the significantly reduced overseas processing capacity has meant that there is currently a lengthy and arduous vetting process for all refugees that has rendered the U.S. refugee admissions program from what should be a nimble, efficient, life-saving tool into a cumbersome, lengthy process through which those who need immediate protection are often not able to avail themselves of such through the program.
âThe most important steps that Congress and the administration can take to prepare for and operationalize refugee resettlement from Hong Kong are to restore the U.S. refugee admissions program to historical norms and to rebuild and robustly support U.S. refugee admissions program overseas processing and domestic resettlement capacities,â Yang said. âCongress should work with the administration to increase capacity for U.S. Embassy and NGO referrals, schedule ongoing USCIS circuit rides to the region, and break through other logjams in processing.â
The current administrationâs severe reduction in the refugee ceiling for FY2021, currently set at a historic low of 15,000, has left many refugees stuck in camps or urban settings, waiting for a safe harbor and reunification with their families. In her testimony, Yang stated, âThe ability of the United States to operate a flexible and more robust USRAP will have a direct impact not just on those needing immediate protection from Hong Kong but also on so many around the world who have languished for decades in refugee camps and urban settings with no durable solution in sight.â In addition, Yang noted the recently finalized asylum rule that would significantly hamper if not altogether make impossible the ability for many Hong Kong asylum-seekers to gain asylum.
âThe U.S. has the creative capacity and ability with the support of local communities to process and welcome Hong Kong refugees as well as the thousands of others who have nowhere else to go. What it will take is the political will, resources, and leadership from Congress to get the job done. Fewer than one-percent of refugees will ever be resettled to a third country, Congress needs to act now to reform and strengthen what some call the âcrown jewelâ in U.S. humanitarianism,â said Yang.
As Congress explores the challenges and opportunities with helping the people of Hong Kong and others who may be forcibly displaced, World Relief and RCUSA will work in unison with Congress and the administration to meet these objectives and protect the worldâs most vulnerable people.
Watch a video of the hearing here and read Jenny Yang’s full testimony here.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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.
About Refugee Council USA (RCUSA)
RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.
Learn more at worldrelief.org and RCUSA.
World Relief Responds to Trump Administrationâs Finalized Regulation to Limit Asylum
December 11, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â The Trump administration announced Thursday that it has finalized a regulation that would make it increasingly difficult for individuals to claim asylum in the United States, the most recent in a number of rules of similar effect. As a Christian organization committed to honoring the dignity of every human person, World Relief decries this new rule, which is poised to go into effect on January 11, and adamantly calls for its immediate reversal. For many vulnerable individuals, including many persecuted religious minorities, the United States is their only safe harbor. Instead of shutting out asylum-seekers, the U.S. government should offer protection to those fleeing danger and partner with organizations committed to upholding the value of every individual and their right to seek refuge.
âU.S. law rightly offers safety and protection to individuals who reach the U.S. who can demonstrate a credible fear of persecution in their country of origin. These new regulations dramatically restrict the number of individuals who will qualify for this life-saving refuge,â said Scott Arbeiter, World Relief president. âThe U.S. has both a moral and a legal obligation to protect those fleeing persecution that we must not betray.â
As World Relief noted in formal comments submitted shortly after these proposed rules were first announced, this asylum regulationâs broad changes would impact those applying for asylum at the border as well as from within the U.S. The now-finalized rule dramatically redefines key legal terms â including âpersecution,â âwell-founded fear,â âtorture,â âpolitical opinionâ and âparticular social groupâ â in absurdly restrictive ways, which will mean that individuals who would previously have won their asylum cases will now be denied and, in most cases, be deported back to their persecutors.
âBeing a safe country and a compassionate country are not mutually exclusive traits,â says Tim Breene, World Relief CEO. âWhile we ought to insist that our government enforce laws designed to prevent anyone who would seek to do harm from entering the U.S., we must be equally committed to respecting laws designed to offer refuge to those fleeing persecution. As Christians, we believe this new regulation is inconsistent with our conviction that all human life is made in Godâs image and thus worthy of protection.â
In July, World Relief partnered with Open Doors USA, an organization focused on advocating for persecuted Christians globally, to release a report that examined the harm that these regulations, as initially proposed, would cause to persecuted Christians and other religious minorities. That report urged Christians to file formal public comments opposing these changes, which contributed to the more than 88,000 public comments filed. Nevertheless, the administration has finalized this rule with only minimal amendments. World Relief urges the Trump administration to reverse this rule immediately, consistent with its stated commitment to international religious freedom.
Presuming the Trump administration does not reconsider this decision, World Relief calls on President-elect Biden to reverse these restrictive regulations as expeditiously as possible and urges local churches to unite in advocacy and in prayer as they seek to welcome the asylum seekers and other immigrants into their communities.
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Announces New Office in Ad-Damazin, Sudan
December 10, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â Today, World Relief announces a new office and guest house in Ad-Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile in Sudan. The new office will advance World Reliefâs presence in the Blue Nile region to best serve the community. Since 2004, World Relief Sudan has been on the ground, working to alleviate poverty and stabilize conflict in the region.
World Relief currently has three professional staff members at the new office. The focus at present is on responding to post-flood, Covid-19 and other disaster needs but World Relief has been discussing with UN agencies and other donors on potential program expansion into food security and livelihoods, wash, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other extreme areas of need. We are providing food, water and other immediate needs support to almost 1,000 refugees from Tigray in neighboring Ethiopia and continue to assess our capacity to do more in responding to the influx of refugees into Sudan.
âWe are grateful to open our new office in Blue Nile, where we have been working for a number of years now,â said Charles FranzĂ©n, director of humanitarian and disaster response at World Relief. âThe new location gives our team greater access into the region to best serve the most vulnerable. Especially as tensions continue in the area and refugees arrive from the Tigray region.â
In 2019, World Relief Sudan was granted the largest amount of funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) at $4.8 million. This funding enabled World Relief to provide urgent aid to the estimated 6.9 million people that, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), faced food insecurity during the lean 2019 season. The funding has also given World Relief the flexibility to open the new office in Blue Nile, in addition to other private and institutional sources.
“Our work in Blue Nile expands to a new state the excellent humanitarian efforts of World Relief in Sudan,â explains Gemta Birhanu, Sudan Country Director at World Relief. âIn the future we can look at opportunities to provide food security and livelihoods and WASH to a marginalized part of the country and hope to extend our work to the more diverse community elements in the state. As we have only recently started our work in Blue Nile, we are fortunate enough to be in a position to respond to the needs of Tigrayan refugees from Ethiopia who have crossed the border into the state.”
To learn more about World Relief, visit: https://worldrelief.org/
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Reliefâs Efforts to Combat Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Eastern DR Congo Recently Expanded with New Funding Received from the Trust Fund for Victims
December 4, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â World Relief has commenced a new partnership with the Trust Fund for Victims under the International Criminal Court to provide physical rehabilitation to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). This project aims to reach 300 women with direct assistance, and over 4,550 people with education and messaging, including family members, community leaders, local authorities and religious leaders. World Relief will work across twelve localities within North Kivu Province, an area rife with conflict and gross human rights violations. Since 2013, World Relief has been working with communities in Rutshuru Territory to spread awareness and education about the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence as well as care for survivors.
The DR Congo continues to be one of the worldâs worst places to be a woman, according to many peace and security index ratings. In a 2018 survey by UN Women, 35,000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were recorded in DR Congo in that year. World Relief believes this estimate is low and assumes that many cases of womenâs and girlâs rights abuses go unreported. In light of the turbulence caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic, this number has likely skyrocketed in North Kivu where women are still the first victims of conflicts and domestic abuse, and cultural norms often relegate them to second-class citizenry.
âWe are committed to fighting sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms by addressing root causes and building just communities that protect the rights and dignity of all women and girls. We are also committed to restoration of victims at the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual level,â said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. âWe are especially grateful for this new partnership with the Trust Fund for Victims to help provide rehabilitation for survivors and education to local leaders.â
Sexual and gender-based violence includes war rape, domestic violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, threats of violence to coerce and manipulate, all rooted in gender inequality, harmful cultural norms and the abuse of power in a predominately patriarchal society. The consequences of sexual and gender-based violence are far more devastating beyond any single (or multiple) incident and often lead to life-long repercussions for women. Many continue to experience physical, mental and emotional trauma long after the incident. The effects that follow include rejection out of her household, community stigmatization, pregnancy and especially for young girls whose rape has led to a pregnancy, vaginal fistulas (an open wound) that can often lead to incontinence, heaping more shame and feelings of worthlessness.
Little justice is offered to women in a country where these acts of violence have reached epidemic proportions; perpetrators are too often not held accountable, and if tried, many can bribe their way into impunity. In coordination with local grassroots establishments who hold much influence, World Relief and the church will work together to support women impacted by sexual and gender-based violence. Through two main objectives, the aim of this larger partnership is to successfully reintegrate them back into their families and communities by providing them with the necessary skills to thrive. This project seeks to:
- Provide physical rehabilitation to 300 women survivors and their children through individual counseling, Survivor Groups creation, building out a framework to train trauma care providers, training local leaders and volunteers on sexual and gender-based violence, as well as mobilizing them to educate their communities on sexual and gender-based violence sensitivity, care and prevention.
- Reach 37 survivors with physical medical rehabilitation through the treatment of fistulas via non-charge surgeries in partnership with a local womanâs hospital, and provide integration kits to these survivors to restart their livelihood activities.
World Relief and the Trust Fund for Victims have launched this project for an initial 12 months with plans to reassess a continued partnership in future years in North Kivu Province. Thanks to this funding, World Relief is able to expand its footprint deeper into other internal programming in Ituri Province by working with local churches to understand the relevance of gender equality and empowerment.
Heather Woodward, international director of finance and operations at World Relief, who has worked extensively on setting this project up between the TFV/ICC and World Relief, says, âWorld Relief is honored to participate in the mission of the Trust Fund for Victims âto support and implement programs that address harms resulting from genocide, crimes of humanity, war crimes and aggression by providing physical, psychological, and material support to victims and their families.â By providing dignified care, seeking peace and restoration in communities through survivors groups and counseling, World Relief desires to show women and families who have been violated that they are worthy and loved by God, despite the injustices they have experienced. In partnership with the Trust Fund for Victims, World Relief will continue to champion gender equality and the rights of women and girls.â
For more information about World Relief and how you can help, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Remains Resilient in Fight Against HIV/AIDS
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
December 1, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â This World AIDS Day, World Relief renews its commitment to eradicate HIV/AIDS. At the end of 2019 there were an estimated 38 million people living with HIV, and HIV continues to be a major global health issue. This yearâs theme is âEnding the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact.â
World Relief has worked in HIV/AIDS prevention and care for more than 25 years, starting in Malawi and Swaziland. In the years following the genocide in Rwanda, the HIV prevalence rate was estimated at 13% of the population. World Relief saw a critical need to work with the government, communities, and churches to raise awareness, create support groups, establish home care for people infected, and improve care for orphans. World Relief Rwandaâs HIV/AIDS programs reached over one million people during this critical period.
âEnding a global health crisis takes commitment and resilience from generation to generation,â said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. âSo much of what we do is educational â from preventative messaging to educating the person with the infection to guiding the local community who may have stigmas and misunderstanding about HIV/AIDS. World Relief provides full and complete information to youth about sex and HIV risk, enabling them to make better choices for their lives. While progress has been made, we remain at great risk of a resurgence beyond the current 38 million living with the disease.â
World Relief addresses the issue in partnership with the local churches through strengthening family relationships that enhance marital faithfulness and the value of women, advocating for testing and adherence to treatment, and encouraging family economic growth. World Relief especially focuses on East and Southern Africa, where as of 2019, 20.7 million people lived with HIV, making it the region most affected by HIV in the world. In 2020, as part of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Reliefâs (PEPFAR) Faith and Community Initiative, World Relief launched the new SCOPE HIV, in Malawi to address gender as both a driver and a barrier in reaching the last mile with HIV care and treatment, and preventing new HIV infections by reducing sexual and gender-based violence.
âHIV is still one of the leading causes of death in developing countries and is an issue that takes dedication and collaboration across organizations and communities,â said Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. âAccording to the World Health Organization, 690,000 people died from HIV-related causes in 2019, and 1.7 million people were newly infected, largely due to gaps in HIV/AIDs service. This is roughly half as many deaths as the world experienced from COVID-19 in the first eleven months of 2020. HIV/AIDS is a huge crisis globally that has been going on year after year for decades, without a vaccine. This is why it is critical for organizations and nations to not give up on their efforts and to continue making HIV/AIDS a top priority.â
Research has shown that faith-based organizations have lowered the barriers of access to health services and have helped those infected not only get the treatment they need but maintain access to it.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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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 Reaches Nearly 700,000 People with COVID-19 Preventative Messaging and Assistance
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
November 9, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE â To date, World Relief has reached nearly 700,00 people with messaging by staff and volunteers on preventative messaging, medical assistance and education in Haiti, Cambodia and across Africa in countries such as Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Sudan to help combat the pandemic. Additionally, over 11 million have been reached by World Relief through radio and mass messaging campaigns. World Relief recognizes the devastating loss of 1 million lives to COVID-19 over the past nine months and its disproportionate effect on poor and marginalized populations.
According to the United Nations, there are nearly 80 million people globally who have been forcibly displaced, and COVID-19 has only made their existing challenges more severe. Country borders have closed to travel, many countries lack basic health equipment or expertise to deal with existing medical challenges and most refugee camps are ill-equipped to handle the evolving medical needs caused by a global pandemic. Global hunger has been significantly exacerbated by the economic impacts of efforts to contain the pandemic. Nearly 700 million people in the world are chronically hungry, and right now, coronavirus is endangering another 132 million.
âThe pandemic has inevitably impacted all of us in some way. We grieve with those who have sacrificed plans, lost loved ones, been isolated from their families, struggled financially due to economic shutdowns and job losses, or lacked access to essential healthcare. It is rare when the whole world suffers united from a single tragedy,â said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. âBut we have to acknowledge the ways in which this health crisis disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable among us. They are at the greatest risk of increased hunger, poverty and violence as a result of the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.â
World Reliefâs international teams mobilized to increase education with awareness campaigns and training sessions and address issues caused by the pandemic, such as food insecurity, domestic violence and lack of access to healthcare. During the month of September alone, World Reliefâs teams have served an estimated minimum of 106,320 beneficiaries with various COVID-19 interventions. World Relief COVID-19 project staff have conducted training for health facility staff and supervision visits to isolation and treatment centers.
âDespite closures and restrictions, continuing our international development activities has been essential as the pandemic has evolved,â said Myal Greene, SVP of International Programs at World Relief. âThe need is immense â and itâs sure to continue growing due to the impact of the pandemic on the developing world. We are continuing to reach the most vulnerable households with health education, food support and access to tools that protect their health, like COVID-19 kits, thermometers, disinfectant, soap and masks.â
âThis has undoubtedly been a year of great change. Weâve had a longstanding history of embracing change, and I believe we can lessen the impact and bring hope to many thousands of the most vulnerable by responding to the opportunities that often come with disruption,â said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief.
World Relief has been serving the vulnerable for the last 75 years, across 100 countries. To learn more about World Reliefâs work to create sustainable change for the most vulnerable or donate to their mission, please visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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About World Relief:
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that seeks to overcome violence, poverty and injustice. Through love in action, we bring hope, healing and restoration to millions of the worldâs most vulnerable women, men and children through vital and sustainable programs in disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding, as well as refugee and immigration services in the U.S. For 75 years, weâve partnered with churches and communities, currently across more than 20 countries, to provide relief from suffering and help people rebuild their lives.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
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