Posts Tagged ‘Western Washington’

Nyakaar abandoned her home in South Sudan when armed conflict threatened her village. She found safety in the Bentiu Protection of Civilians camp, a U.N.-run camp for internally displaced South Sudanese people where World Relief operates health and nutrition programming. Shortly after arriving, Nyakaar gave birth to her son, Bone.

In the world today, a record-breaking 117.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes. That’s about 1 in every 78 people that live across the globe.*

While many of us think of refugees when we hear the words “mass displacement,” the majority of displaced people worldwide are actually internally displaced people like Nyakaar and Bone.

The causes of mass displacement are many, and the repercussions reach far and wide. Today, we’re taking a bird’s eye view of the topic of mass displacement to help you understand what causes people to leave their homes, who is fleeing and how people across the globe are joining World Relief to address the drivers of mass displacement and care for those who are displaced.

*These numbers reflect the latest estimates from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. This blog was originally written May 10, 2022 and updated on April 11th, 2023.

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What causes mass displacement?

People are displaced from their homes for myriad reasons — persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and climate-related factors to name a few. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been the most recent example of how war can force millions of people to flee their homes. However, there are many other conflicts and crises occurring in the world which are also causing people to flee their homes. 

For example, violence in the Darfur region of Sudan has caused many to flee in search of a safe place to live, farm and raise their children. Some of these families remain internally displaced while others have fled across international borders into Chad and other surrounding countries.  Apart from the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, 68% of the world’s refugees have come from the following five countries: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar. Though crises like these have received varying levels of media attention, the needs of the displaced remain critical. 

Refugees, Asylum Seekers and IDPs

Many times, displaced people flee to regions or countries surrounding their home region, while a smaller percentage relocate to a more distant country. A displaced person can fall under several categories:

• Internally Displaced People
• Refugees
• Asylum Seekers

Internally Displaced People make up the largest category. These are people who have been displaced within their own country. They have been forced to flee their home and region, and have resettled in a different part of the same country in which they already lived.  Currently, 61.2 million people are classed as Internally Displaced People. 

Refugees make up the next largest group of displaced people. These are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. It’s likely that you’ve read stories of refugees like Bohdan, Abdinasir and Amira — all people who left their home countries due to conflict or persecution, applied for refugee status and were resettled right here in the United States.  

Today, there are about 29.3 million people with refugee status in the world. 

In 2022, the U.S. has agreed to resettle up to 125,000 refugees plus an additional 100,000 Ukrainians who have fled the Russian invasion. As is evident, there are far more refugees in the world than can be resettled even in a country as large and as resourced as the U.S. 

Asylum seekers make up the third and smallest category of displaced people. These are people who have fled to another country, but who have not yet been granted official refugee status. These women, men and children may have to wait years to receive an official status. 

Currently, there are about 5.6 million asylum seekers living around the world today.

Host Communities

One final impacted group remains to be identified, and these are the host communities. 

Host communities have not been displaced from their homes, but the swift influx of refugees into their communities severely impacts those who already lived in the region. Often host community members need the same support that refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people typically receive.

A large number of refugees can mean reduced access to land and water and can cause a scarcity in resources. For example, in Sudan, conflicts have broken out over land usage, as host communities and displaced people seek to utilize the scarce land and water resources available in the host community area. 

World Relief works within these communities to increase access to clean water as well as facilitate peace committees to solve interpersonal conflicts before they grow.

What else is World Relief doing to help?

After a person is displaced, they can either choose to return to their home, or they can resettle in a new location. However, for many, the option to return home is not a viable one, as drivers of displacement often last for generations. World Relief is currently serving displaced people across the globe in several ways:

1. In DR Congo, a country that’s facing one of the world’s worst hunger crises, World Relief works with host communities and with displaced people who have returned home by providing agricultural training and farming supplies to help families grow crops to feed their families and sell the surplus in local markets to earn an income. 

2. Globally, World Relief serves refugees who have crossed the border into our international countries of operation, working with local partners to provide emergency aid to families living in temporary shelters.

3. In the U.S., World Relief partners with the U.S. government to resettle refugees. We also serve asylum seekers and other immigrants by providing community connections, legal services and other vital services like ESL classes, job training and more.

4. In Sudan, South Sudan and DRC, World Relief serves internally displaced people by equipping local village peace committees and providing health, nutrition, WASH, education, agricultural programming and more. 
   

5. World Relief also advocates for the vulnerable when injustice occurs. We believe speaking up along with the poor and oppressed is an important witness to a watching world about the character of Jesus.

Mass displacement remains one of the largest and most challenging crises of our time — a truth that will take intentional coordination and investment between local and international communities, churches, governments and non-profit organizations to address.  

At World Relief, we believe Jesus came to earth to love the vulnerable.  Jesus didn’t bring hope and salvation from a distance. Instead, he came to us, showed us love and suffered with us. Whether we are welcoming refugees and asylum seekers into our own communities or providing relief to those displaced overseas, we get to be the hands of feet of Jesus, sharing his love to a world in need. 

To learn more about how you can help refugees and displaced people in the U.S., visit our private sponsorship page.

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Lydia Dawson served as World Relief’s Humanitarian and Disaster Response Unit Program Officer in Sudan, and in disaster response worldwide. Prior to joining World Relief, Lydia worked in homeless services and community development in Oregon and California. She is passionate about equity and honor for underrepresented groups, both locally and internationally.

OPENING THE COMMERCIAL TEACHING KITCHEN IN KING COUNTY

Several years ago, World Relief Western Washington (WRWW) hosted a listening session where the local refugee-immigrant community could gather and openly share their needs, struggles, and hopes. What resulted was a dream we decided to help make a reality. With the support of funding from King Conservation District, The WA Commerce Department, the U.S. Small Business Administration, private donors, and generous architects and construction crews, we constructed a commercial teaching kitchen. Soon the 1,215 sq. ft. commercial teaching kitchen will be complete and open for programming including cooking and nutrition workshops and a food industry career pathway course! 

Cooking is important to us. We learned this as we listened to the community. Through food we build community, sharing in each other’s joys and sorrows, and inspiring dreams as we nourish our bodies. Listen long enough to the stories of the people around you, and you will see this too. 

“When you cook, you have to cook from your heart.”

—Cooking advice shared by a recent arrival from Afghanistan who loves experimenting with traditional recipes and cooking for his friends and family. 

A KITCHEN TO GATHER PEOPLE

“I love to bring joy to people with my baking,” says Katya, a new arrival from Ukraine. “You become a part of people’s special events [when you bake food for them]. You become a part of the joy.” Katya owned a catering business back in Ukraine. Here in the US, she has found joy in preparing baked goods from recipes passed down from her grandmother. Her baked goods tell a story of her family and her homeland of Ukraine. Katya dreams of one day opening a bakery here in the US so more people can share her joy. 

We are excited for Katya to be one of our featured guest chefs this summer in a series of cooking workshops hosted by WRWW. Through refugee and immigrant-led cooking classes, community members will have the opportunity to gather, learn from our new neighbors, and celebrate the diversity of our community. Through food we can appreciate the many cultures that shape our growing community. 

Our food tells a story about where we are from and who we are now.  

A KITCHEN TO BRING NOURISHMENT

Pausing to prepare food and eat reminds us of our human need. Our need for food is not undignified in its existence, but a sacred reminder of our humanity and our beautiful calling to nourish mind, body, and soul daily.  

How we respond to our needs matters. The food we eat matters. 

According to a May 2023 survey conducted by WRWW, a high percentage (approx. 44%) of refugee & immigrant respondents indicated that they do not know what a healthy, nutritious meal consists of. 

The WRWW Commercial Teaching Kitchen will offer nutrition classes and healthy cooking workshops, equipping refugees and immigrants with the knowledge and skills they need to prepare nourishing food for themselves and their families.  

Healthy food brings our bodies strength, healing and vitality.  

A KITCHEN TO INSPIRE DREAMS

Refugees and immigrants arriving in Washington have left much behind. But they also bring so much with them. They bring pieces of their culture, creativity, ambition, skills and dreams. They come with so much to offer to our community.  

World Relief Western Washington believes in the inherent resiliency of refugees and immigrants and is committed to coming alongside the refugee-immigrant community to equip them to thrive in their new home. Developing cooking skills and building knowledge and connections within the food industry provides refugees and immigrants with more opportunities for employment and creative economic endeavors. Programming won’t only focus on the culinary arts or business pathways. Workshops will be designed in such a way as to draw out creativity, instill confidence, and inspire dreams both new and old.  

With the completion of the WRWW Commercial Teaching Kitchen we celebrate the realization of one dream and look forward to the start of many more!