Baptist World Alliance, BWA News Release

Baptists to help Syrians displaced by civil war

Baptist World Alliance Logo

The Baptist World Alliance® (BWA) is leading a response to assist Syrians displaced by the civil war in the Middle Eastern country.

Baptists around the world are being encouraged to make donations to the BWA to alleviate what has developed into an urgent need. The BWA has sent an initial grant of US$15,000 for the relief effort.

Since the outbreak of violence in Syria in March 2011, the humanitarian situation has continuously deteriorated.  As the crisis escalates, mass displacement continues across Syria. According to the United Nations, 2.5 million people are in need of assistance, with 1.2 million people internally displaced throughout the country. The crisis has forced people to leave their homes and livelihoods. Every day of violence adds to the number of displaced moving in search of safety.

The key problem is access to food. The longer term forecast for food availability and affordability in Syria looks bleak with the economy continuing to unravel. Those immediately affected by the violence in the hot-spots have lost access to the most basic items and are desperately in need of food supplies.

The BWA is working with its partners in the Middle East and within Syria itself to meet the urgent need. The aim is to enable local Baptists to respond to the immediate food needs of the internally displaced and others affected by the violence in their wider area.

The Baptist Convention of Syria, a BWA member organization, has approximately 600 members in 10 churches.

Donations may be made online at www.bwanet.org or sent to:

Baptist World Aid
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
USA

The Baptist World Alliance® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Gifts for programs of the BWA may be tax deductible in the United States. All donors will receive a receipt for their donation for income tax reporting purposes.

Baptist World Alliance®
© October 9, 2012

The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, is a fellowship of 266 conventions and unions in 134 countries and territories comprising 51 million baptized believers in 178,000 churches. For more than 100 years, the Baptist World Alliance has networked the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ with a commitment to strengthen worship, fellowship and unity; lead in mission and evangelism; respond to people in need through aid, relief, and community development; defend religious freedom, human rights, and justice; and advance theological reflection and leadership development.