Syria

The Constant Political, Security, and Military Changes in Syria Call for a Prophetic Humanitarian Positioning of the Church, Avoiding Political Partisanship and Bias

The United States bombs Syria with the support of Britain and France. Iran interfers in Syrian affairs. The United Nations Security Council meets to deliberate on the Syrian regime’s attacks on Duma. Such is the news of the region – Syria, Lebanon and the wider Middle East.

US President Donald Trump blamed Russia and Syria for allegedly using chemical weapons in an attack on the Syrian city of Duma in Eastern Ghouta, saying: “We are very concerned about these practices, because it is a matter of humanity.” Based on this humanitarian motive, the US launched missile strikes and destroyed three sites suspected of being linked with the Syrian chemical weapons program, following the alleged attack. At the same time, while the United States received about 15,479 Syrian refugees by the end of the previous administration in 2016, according to US State Department statistics, the number had dropped to approximately 11 Syrian refugees by the end of April 2018. Read more

Palestine-Israel

Peaceful Gaza protests may reflect an evolution in Palestinian understandings of power, suffering, and ultimately victory

For the past several weeks, beginning the 30th of March 2018 on the anniversary of Land Day, thousands of Palestinian protestors have been demonstrating along the border fence dividing the Gaza Strip from Israel. Referred to as The Great March of Return, non-violent demonstrations are planned to continue for a total of six weeks and are set to culminate on the 15th of May in commemoration of Nakba Day. The Nakba (“catastrophe”) refers to the forced expulsion of Palestinians from their lands and homes in what now comprises the state of Israel by Zionist forces in 1948. Approximately 70% of those residing in the Gaza Strip, a population of around 1.85 million in an area smaller than 365 square kilometers (141 square miles), are refugees or the descendants of refugees. Read more

Jordan-Iraq

The Politics of Return: Syrian refugees will be saved from the “aid industry” only through genuine hospitality

The financial crunch of refugee presence in Syria’s neighboring countries is pushing countries like Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon to accelerate refugee return prematurely. The international community has failed woefully in its commitments, both to receiving refugees and to supporting host countries financially. Their policies are shifting towards resettlement in neighboring countries, while their actions show less and less commitment to the host countries. Only 43% of funding pledged to Lebanon in 2017 at donor conferences jointly organized with the UN to meet a national response plan, was actually received, down from 46% in 2016, which was down from 54% in 2015. On the other hand, only 62% of Jordan’s national response plan budget was met in 2016, and 65% in 2017. Read more

Egypt

It may be hard for the Church to pronounce itself on the truth in the complex political process of image shaping, but it is always called to be the hands of Christ in situations of despair

Human Rights Watch has expressed fears of a humanitarian crisis in the Egyptian governorate of North Sinai as a result of a security campaign by the Egyptian army against an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) operating in the region.

HRW said in a report published on 23 April 2018 under the title, “Egypt: Looming Humanitarian Crisis in Sinai,” that the campaign against the IS affiliate in North Sinai has left up to 420,000 residents in four northeastern cities in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

According to the report, the military campaign included the imposition of severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods throughout almost the entire governorate. Residents say they have witnessed a sharp decrease in supplies of food, medicine, and other essential commercial goods. The sale or use of gasoline for vehicle use in the area was also banned and telecommunication services have been cut for several days at a time. Water and electricity were cut almost entirely in the eastern areas of North Sinai, including Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed. Read more

South Sudan

A Voice to the Voiceless and Vulnerable As Violence Breeds Violence in South Sudan

According to the most recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (GIEWS country brief of South Sudan), food resources in South Sudan continue to grow less available. The figure of people suffering from food insecurity in South Sudan has risen from 4.8 million to 6.33 million within the February-April 2018 period. This makes up 57% of the total population. Moreover, prices of main food products are 75% higher in March 2018 than they were in March 2017. Read more

Algeria

Algerian Authorities are Called to Deal with Dignity with Migrant Peoples and the Church is often Called to Act Against the Dominant Social Norms

Lately, there has been an intensification of mass arrests of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries in Algeria. More than 280 people have been arrested in total, including 12 children. Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Badawi remarked that security forces had recorded an average of 500 attempts of illegal entry on a daily basis across the southern border with Niger and Mali, the countries with the highest “exporters” of migrants to Algeria. International human rights organizations, however, following up on these latest developments, have decried that law enforcement officers conducted these arrests arbitrarily, without verification of identities or checking for valid residency permits. Read more