Social distancing, quarantine, self isolation, pandemic. Words that just one month ago meant very little to most of us. Today we are surrounded by these terms as they shape our lives. But what about those stories that don’t show up in the news headlines?
We know that you care about what is happening among the most vulnerable people — people like the over 70 million displaced people and refugees around the world — and you have not forgotten their stories.
Refugees and people who are displaced cannot practice social distancing because they live in crowded camps. Even if it were possible to quarantine in camps for refugees and displaced people, you would no longer be able to work enough to feed your family each day. Practicing handwashing is difficult because of the lack of clean water and soap. Healthcare facilities for these camps are few and under-resourced.
Even without a global pandemic, those living in camps face precarious situations. Access to food, clean water, proper hygiene facilities, consistent work; many of these are daily challenges.
We are enormously concerned about the potentially devastating impact that COVID-19 could have on the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
But rest assured, World Renew is already walking alongside refugees and displaced people around the world and will continue to do so. Our call to serve as Christ’s light in the world means that we must stay the course.
In Syria and Lebanon, World Renew continues to provide life-saving assistance to families affected by conflict for over eight years. We cannot leave these families behind. That is why World Renew is committing to provide 12 more months of emergency food assistance to displaced Syrian families. Distribution teams are being equipped with personal protection equipment to ensure that Syrian families are not facing increased risk of COVID-19 through food distributions.
Working with our partners in the region, including MERATH in Lebanon, we are reaching vulnerable Syrian families with essential hygiene kits to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Each kit includes items like: bars of soap, bottles of hand sanitizer, packages of paper towels, and important health information on COVID-19.
We thank you for the gifts that you have generously given in the past to make this work possible. And we firmly believe that now is not the time to pull back. We cannot abandon our global neighbours who are in need. The reality is simple: millions of displaced people are more vulnerable today than they were just one month ago, and at World Renew, we are doing all that we can to offer hope to the most vulnerable.
Your gift today will ensure that our life-saving assistance can continue, and that we can take actions to equip staff, partners, and community members with the resources and knowledge to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Please help us to reach those most vulnerable to COVID-19.