The Iraqi Refugee Crisis

1 in 5 Iraqis have Been Displaced. What can we do?

Refugees International describes the Iraqi refugee crisis as "one of the largest humanitarian and displacement crises in the world." Nearly 5 million Iraqis have been made refugees by the ongoing conflict in Iraq. Many are stuck without citizenship where they are unable to legally work as they wait for permission to settle in Europe and North America. Even those lucky enough to be transitioned into countries where they can begin new lives find mounting challenges in the wake of the global economic crisis—they left everything behind and find themselves, as new immigrant families, unable to secure employment or make ends met in the countries that they once dreamed would offer them some semblance of a normal life. So what can we do? As it turns out quite a lot. In the pages below we try to guide you through some of the ways you can become a part of meaningful and effective change that might help alleviate the suffering of refugees.

Join a Refugee Response Team

Middle East Fellowship, in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches, will bring participants to Syria and Jordan to meet with Iraqi refugees and humanitarian organizations who work on their behalf.

Your Guide:

The delegation will be led by Nuhad Tomeh, Associate General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, regional liaison for the Presbyterian Church, USA and Middle East Fellowship board member. Read Nuhad's bio.

Join us.

Damascus Summer Encounter

Volunteer to serve the Iraqi refugees in Damascus, Syria. The Damascus Summer Encounter is a 1 to 2 month service learning and cultural immersion program for participants of all ages and nationalities. Participants volunteer with a local church, school or nonprofit; study Arabic through the Berlitz program; meet with local community and religious leaders; and explore the region through weekend trips to cities and sites of historical and cultural significance. The program provides a great opportunity to meet and learn from local Syrians, discover more about the plight of Iraqi refugees in Damascus and elsewhere and study Arabic in an Arabic-speaking country.

Learn More.

1 in 5 Iraqis has been displaced. Millions have become refugees. Do something about it.

Refugee Response Teams

Submitted by iraqadmin on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 18:46

Note: the November Refugee Response Team has been cancelled.

Delegation to Syria and Jordan.

1 out of every 5 Iraqis have been displaced*. Almost 5 million Iraqis have become refugees.

Do something about it.

Middle East Fellowship, in partnership with the Middle East Council of Churches, will be bringing participants to Syria and Jordan to meet with Iraqi refugees and humanitarian organizations who are working on their behalf. The plight of Iraqi refugees is a crisis that has received little media attention but has become a critical humanitarian issue throughout the Middle East.

Your Guide:

The delegation will be led by Nuhad Tomeh, Associate General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, regional liaison for the Presbyterian Church, USA and Middle East Fellowship board member. Read Nuhad's bio.

Goals of the trips:

• To identify groups and churches who are assisting the refugee populations in the Middle East and discover opportunities to support their efforts.

• To analyze the current predicament of Middle East refugee populations by speaking with humanitarian organizations, local churches, U.N. representatives and others who are responding to the growing crisis.

• To raise awareness worldwide about the plight of refugees.

Register Now!
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1 in 5 Iraqis have Been Displaced. What can we do?

Learn more about Iraqi Refugees

Join a Refugee Response Team

Damascus Summer Encounter

Refugee Response Teams