Amid news of a devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey, the Presbyterian Mission Agency has reached out to offer assistance to partners in the area, where thousands have died, and is asking Presbyterians to pray for those impacted by the quake and its aftershocks.
Al-Hassakeh is a major town in northeast Syria that has existed for almost 1,000 years as part of the historic Silk Road. This part of the world has been Christian from around the time Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. The Rev. Mathilde Sabbagh ministers there with her congregation, the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Al-Hassakeh, to support her community without regard to religious affiliation.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has committed rapid response solidarity grants to five ecumenical partners in Eastern and Central Europe addressing the humanitarian crisis created by the unprovoked attack.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) says the United States and its allies are right in their resolve to hold the Russian government of Vladimir Putin accountable for violating international human rights and humanitarian law in its invasion of Ukraine.
In 2020, the price of bread doubled in Syria and the price of imported goods such as rice and sugar increased by 400%. The Jinishian Memorial Program provided coupons to 871 families to make food more affordable.
In 2020, the price of bread doubled in Syria and the price of imported goods such as rice and sugar increased by 400%. The Jinishian Memorial Program provided coupons to 871 families to make food more affordable.
“If the Jinishian Memorial Program weren’t here with us, what would we do?” a desperate mother in Syria recently asked a JMP staff member.
The second annual Presbyterian Week of Action will begin Monday, Aug. 23, with a deep dive into the Middle East and the United States’ role in its recent history and future in a day titled “Middle East Peace … Our Peace.”
Members of the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network met Tuesday for a one-hour virtual training session for individuals who want to join them in lobbying U.S. representatives for a reduction of economic sanctions in Syria.