Blog: Disaster Relief

Yazidi Refugees, Disaster Relief

By, Bethany Marinelli

The year of 2015 will go into the books as one of great change and progress for Global Hope Network International. Our staff has worked hard, both in the field in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and in our resource offices in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

It’s difficult to truly quantify the hard work of Hidden and Hurting around the world who toiled toward a future of Hope. It is they whom we stand by in awe as they inspire us to push forward to end extreme poverty.

U Saun Taung Village, Myanmar

GHNI has begun work in the U Saun Taung area, where there has been devastation to infrastructure after the flood. The people were in great trouble during these hard times. The road and ten houses were destroyed. The village suffered a shortage of food and clean water. Twenty bags of rice and six water filters have been contributed to the village. The filters were placed in the two schools, and the bags of rice were shared with every home. These relief efforts helped the community grow more familiar with GHNI.

_{Due to the nature of our work in the field, it's not always possible to provide a high quality photo. We're happy to provide a current visual of our work despite the quality.}

By, Hashim Zakiullah

“My one holiday wish is for a better way to provide food and a roof for my children.” -Manal*, Jordan

More than four million people have fled Syria since 2011. Many, like Manal and her children, have lost their homes and property, and now live in refugee camps across the border in neighboring countries. The same has happened to thousands of people from Iraq, who left homes and jobs behind, and became refugees to escape the violence in their country.

Monsoon rains devastated village families in Myanmar in the first week of August after a long period of heavy rains initiated a flash flood. As the death toll continues to rise, those who have survived are without food and water.

The village school has also collapsed but this is the least of the villager's concern at the moment as their focus is simply on surviving. The monsoon season will continue at it's peak for the next four to six weeks, meaning a lot more rain will evoke further flooding in the region. 

Focusing on Turkey’s efforts to provide hospitality to refugees, this is the last in a three-part series exploring the ongoing crisis gripping the lives of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Middle East. The series has examined the ties that bind the Holy Land, Lebanon, and Turkey - three countries experiencing particular strain as they struggle for solutions to the greatest humanitarian crisis to affect the region in modern times.

As the second in a three-part series exploring the ongoing crisis gripping the lives of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Middle East, this story focuses on Lebanon. First we explored the unique challenges of the Holy Land, and the third installation will examine Turkey’s attempts to provide hospitality to the refugees. The series studies the ties that bind those countries struggling for solutions.

More than four years ago Syrian refugees in search of mercy began fleeing to neighboring countries to escape unspeakable mayhem in their homeland. Early in the crisis, compassionate outreach was abundant for those broken souls, with Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey opening their borders, and through 2013, Israel provided field hospital medical care to at least 700 severely wounded and critically ill innocent citizens who were delivered to or collapsed at checkpoints.

Not so long ago, thousands of families in Syria and Iraq found their lives turned upside down. A need for safe harbor drove them to nearby Jordan. Within a year more than half a million were living in an unfamiliar land.