syria

Mission Worker Sunday — May 30

A first-hand account of what it means to be an mission co-worker in the Middle East for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Vaccine rollout varies greatly around the world

More than 894 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in 155 countries, about 5.9% of the global population, including 209 million doses in the U.S., according to Bloomberg News. But the availability of vaccine varies greatly around the world, with smaller countries finding themselves a distant priority.

Finding a way forward in Syria

Since conflict and violence began in Syria in 2011, at least two-thirds of Christians and two-thirds of health professionals have left the country, according to the Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP), a long-time partner of World Mission and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).

Minute for Mission: World Interfaith Harmony week begins

From October 2019 through the beginning of 2021 and for the foreseeable future, Lebanon continues to navigate its way through four simultaneous crises that compound the challenges faced by all who live here: political corruption; economic collapse; COVID-19 and the resulting health-care crisis; and recovering from the Beirut Port blast of Aug. 4, 2020. These crises have left young adults in Lebanon without hope for their future. No employment possibilities mean no capacity to marry and start a family. In this context, it has been easy to withdraw into one’s own community and to blame others, whoever they may be.

Caesar Act worsens humanitarian situation in Syria

The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to worsen — much in part, many faith leaders believe, to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act passed by Congress last fall and signed into law by President Donald Trump in December.

Fleeing violence, finding home

“We were only surviving, not living,” Kohar recalled of the war years since 2011 — before her family fled Syria.

Yasmin’s story

She arrived in Italy on Feb. 4, 2016. Of the flight that brought her and her husband and their two small children from Beirut to Rome, she remembers only the emotions she felt on the plane, and the flowers and hugs they got when they landed.

Small ministry, big mission helps Syrian refugees thrive

As he and his small church help some of the thousands of Syrian refugees living in Tyre, Lebanon, to learn a trade to feed their families, the Rev. Amir Ishak has adopted the gazelle as the symbol for his innovative ministry.