Syria (MNN) — When fighting and civil war broke out in 2011, hundreds of thousands of Syrians were forced to leave everything they knew behind. The internally displaced population grew steadily over time; today, neighboring nations house an estimated 5.5 million Syrian refugees. See our coverage of Syrian refugees here.
Some Syrians managed to rebuild portions of their lives in the past decade, Tom Doyle of Uncharted Ministries says. Like the 120,000 Syrian refugees in northwest Syria and portions of Lebanon, others just lost everything – again.
Days of heavy winds, torrential downpours, and subsequent flooding just destroyed thousands of tent settlements housing Syrian refugees. “There are thousands of them in these camps and [in] many camps, the whole group of tents were washed away. So now these people have nothing as if they don’t have enough problems,” Doyle describes.
“[Due to] the 10-year war, half the country is displaced from their homes [and] 83% of the population is under the world poverty level.”
Help Syrians in Jesus’s name
Uncharted and its national partners work with fellow believers and the UN to meet physical needs in the flood zones. As believers deliver food, clothing, and blankets in Christ’s name, questions lead to conversations about Jesus.
“It’s an ‘easy in’ for the Gospel as those needs are met in a loving, caring way,” Doyle says.
“Syrian refugees are the most open population to the Gospel in the Middle East. If believers are sensitive and loving and keep reaching out to them, this could be the next core [group] of missionaries sent out globally.”
Syrian refugees living in an abandoned factory near Saida, Lebanon.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Anthony Gale on Flickr)
You can send help to Syrian refugees through Uncharted Ministries. Simply designate “Syria” in the drop-down list on this page. Most importantly, pray. Ask the Lord to move mightily in Syrian hearts through this outreach.
“Syrian refugees coming to faith in Christ are having their lives changed. We know of one city where over 400 of them came to faith in Christ, and about 300 have been baptized in the underground Church,” Doyle shares.
“God’s moving among them, but we have to reach out and meet their needs. Pray for the Church to step in and make a difference.”
Header image depicts 2013 flooding in a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. (Photo credit: Oxfam International/CC2.0)
