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the fire road

A Book Review by Philoi GlobalDuring the height of the Vietnam war, Kim Phuc Phan Thi was a child at the time a napalm bomb landed near her. The chemical bomb caused her clothes and skin to melt right off her body. As she ran in pain and fear a famous photograph was taken of Kim. This photo became a pivotal Human Right’s turn in the war. It was because of the photo that Kim was evacuated to Cuba to receive immediate medical care for her indescribable wounds. She went on to
have dozens of surgeries and had been carrying a bitterness towards her circumstances. At the age of 19, a pastor taught Kim that Jesus Christ came to take our burden and bitterness and it was then that she gave her unforgiveness to Jesus Christ and followed Him. It was through her faith in Jesus and the church that she was able to heal from her trauma as a child. She knew that is was God that protected her from death, allowed her to move to a safe country, and find a strength to help others.

repatriation CRISIS - Syrian refugees

As of July 2022, the Lebanese government has initiated a plan to begin send Syrian refugees in Beruit, back to Syria in an attempt to combat Lebanon's economic crisis. There is a goal to send back 15,000 Syrian refugees per month. They claim the weight of hosting the refugees in Lebanon is no longer viable for the country, and it will benefit its residents if the Syrian refugees go back to Syria.
The UN objects that repatriation is a safe option for the current displaced Syrian refugees, despite the Lebanese government claiming Syria has recently become 'safer.' The Syrian government states that the refugees who will return are guaranteed temporary shelter in locations that are 'entirely safe,' whilst also promising to send them back to their original neighbourhoods. However, there have already been an alarming amount of human rights violations committed against Syrian refugees who have forcibly returned back to their country - arbitrary detention, sexual assault, killings, and disappearances. The UN are urging Lebanon to re-think their strategy.
There are an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Less than 1% of these are registered with the UN.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon make up almost 1/4 of the entire population.
According to the Refugee Protection Watch's research, 70% of Syrians in Lebanon haven't received any humanitarian assistance since the beginning of 2021.
What does this mean for persecuted minorities? This process will leave displaced persecuted minorities the most vulnerable. Many are unable to register with the UNHCR for this reason - they live in fear of the system, as well as being persecuted from the authorities. Furthermore, returning them back to their neighbourhoods in Syria will put them in extreme danger. Many families have escaped their community not only from war, but due to extreme persecution for religious beliefs, ethnic identity, or political alignment. They will be put in even more danger than before by being sent back to the same location.

ukranian refugee crisis

As of early May 2022, over 5.5 million Ukrainian people have fled the country, and over 8 million people were estimated to have been internally displaced in Ukraine. Poland, a country of 38 million people, has already taken in nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees. Many Polish churches have welcomed Ukrainian families into their facilities, gathering donations and volunteering to help the refugees. One of the denominational leaders told Philoi that out of their 110 churches, 80 church facilities had been converted to house and care for refugees.
We had the opportunity to visit Poland to meet with partners, responding to the refugee crisis in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. At this moment, we are helping Ukrainians who have already arrived in Australia with practical aid by providing settlement support and travel assistance. If you would like to hear from the front lines in Poland what is happening for Ukrainian refugees, watch the video below, or click here.