Coming from churches all over the country the youth groups arrived with winter clothes and blankets to donate for families living as refugees in northern Iraq. During the week our team of staff and volunteers hosted packing sessions to get all the items boxed up and labelled ready to send in time for the cold temperatures. Those who came to help were also able to send a personal message of hope to those receiving the clothes and blankets.
In Iraq there are still 1.5 million people living away from home without any idea when they will be able to return home, or what will be left when they do. When they left home two summers ago they never imagined that they would now be about to face their third winter living in temporary shelters. Through local staff and volunteers these much needed items can bring a practical expression of love and let them know they haven’t been forgotten.
Now with even more people being displaced as the government seeks to take back the city of Mosul, there are once again many more people on the move seeking a place of safety. With the refugee camps already full there will be increased need for local organisations to provide the basic supplies for families arriving in the Kurdistan region.
These packages and many more that we are hoping to collect in the coming months will help to bring hope in the midst of upheaval.
A huge thanks goes out to everyone who came to help pack up the boxes and donated items to send!